Carmelite Charlò Camilleri Delivers a Videoconference on Jean de Saint-Samson
On February 23, 2025, Charlò Camilleri of the Maltese Province was the invited guest speaker at a video conference hosted by the SOLARS Centre for Spirituality on the doctrine of the Carmelite spiritual master Jean de Saint-Samson. Participants joined from Canada, the UK, France, and Malta. The conference featured a presentation on Holy Wisdom in the doctrine of John of Saint Samson. Inspired by a phrase frequently repeated by John of Saint Samson in Le Vray Esprit du Carmel—"the Host and House are One and the Same"—the event explored this mystical concept within his teachings. In doing so, it aimed also to foster dialogue with Advaita and Buddhist spiritual traditions, which employ a similar metaphor in their practices. The talk was followed by engaging discussions.
In 1655, Donatien de Saint-Nicolas published Le Vray Esprit du Carmel, which was later incorporated into the Œuvres complètes, published in two volumes between 1658 and 1659. In these writings, the Carmelite mystic—blind from birth—sheds light on the bold mystical journey of those who embark on the path of interiority, where one becomes aware of welcoming the Wisdom that welcomes us.
Fr. Charlò earned a doctorate in sacred theology with a specialization in spirituality from the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome in 2007. He is currently an Associate Professor in the Department of Moral Theology at the University of Malta, where he teaches spiritual theology, consecrated life, and gender studies. In 2023-2024, he was appointed director of research at the Centre d'Études d'Histoire de la Spiritualité de Nantes (C.E.H.S.). In addition to contributing to several academic journals, he is the editor of the critical edition project of the Œuvres complètes de Jean de Saint-Samson, in collaboration with Edizioni Carmelitane. He also serves as the vice-postulator for the cause of the Servant of God Jean de Saint-Samson.
The SOLARS CENTRE offers conferences and training courses to explore and deepen the mystical heritage of Christianity in dialogue with other spiritual traditions, the sciences, and the arts.
