Roman Catholic Cardinal. An only child, Stanley Grech was born in Vittoriosa on the island of Malta, where he received his first education and served as anti-aircraft gunner of the University Home Guard during the Second World War prior to his entry in the Augustinian Order. Seeking first to become a medical doctor, having in fact entered the Royal University of Malta to initiate the respective course, he eventually decided to enter religious life in 1943, receiving the name of Prospero. Professing his vows on October 8 of the following year, at the end of the war, he was sent to Rome to pursue further studies at the Collegio Internazionale Agostiniano Santa Monica. Earning a licentiate and successively a doctorate in theology from the Pontifical Gregorian University, he furthermore obtained a licentiate, summa cum laude, in Sacred Scriptures from the Pontifical Biblical Institute. Conducting research in Semitic languages at Oxford and Cambridge Universities, besides his native Maltese, he knew English, Italian, French, German, Dutch, Latin, Greek and Hebrew. Being in the meantime ordained priest at St. John Lateran's Basilica on March 25, 1950, after a short stay in Malta he was soon back in Rome where he was chosen as secretary of the Vatican Vicariate by Msgr. Peter Canisius van Lierde OSA., papal sacristan and vicar of His Holiness for Vatican City. In such capacity, he took part in the conclave that elected Cardinal Giovanni Battista Montini to the Papacy as Paul VI on June 21, 1963. It was he in fact, who heard the last confession of the Cardinal Archbishop of Milan before his election. Appointed president of the Istituto Teologico Augustinianum in 1956, where he also lectured as an ordinary professor, five years later, together with Father Agostino Trapè, he founded the Istituto Patristico Augustinianum in Rome, being elected its first president a year later, a post he held until 1979. Member of the commission for the preparation of the document 'Sapientia christiana', at the time considered the magna carta of all pontifical universities, between 1970 and 2002, he lectured hermeneutics at the Pontifical Biblical Institute while from 1971 till 1989, he lectured biblical theology at the Pontifical Lateran University. Organizing, chairing and participating in numerous international and local congresses on the Bible, hermeneutics and patristics in Italy and overseas, he was a member of the Societas Novi Testamenti and of the Association Patristique Internationale. Consultor of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith from 1984 onwards, he furthermore gave lectures at the Accademia dei Lincei, at the Consiglio Nazioinale delle Ricerche and also collaborated with the Enciclopedia Italiana Treccani. Named member of the Pontifical Theological Academy and of the Pontifical Biblical Commission, he was decorated with the National Order of Merit, in the rank of companion, from the President of the Republic of Malta, on December 13, 2011. Listed in Who's Who in Biblical Studies and Archaeology and in the International Who's Who, Pope Benedict XVI created him cardinal deacon in the consistory of February 18, 2012 with the deaconry of Santa Maria Goretti, having received his episcopal consecration with the titular see of San Leone at St. John's Co-Cathedral in Valletta, Malta, ten days prior. Named honorary canon of the collegiate church of St. Lawrence of his native Vittoriosa, Malta, being furthermore presented with "Ġieħ il-Birgu" from the local mayor, by decree of Fra' Matthew Festing, Prince and Grand Master of the of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta, he was admitted into the Order in the rank and dignity of a bailiff grand cross of honor and devotion. Pronouncing the meditation at the beginning of the conclave of March 2013, Grech resided for many years at the College of Santa Monica, in Rome, around which city he was often seen riding his scooter until late in life. An inveterate pipe smoker, dubbed as "possibly the most intelligent man alive" by the 'Catholic Herald', he was the second Maltese to be raised to the Sacred College of Cardinals in history. Passing away suddenly upon being admitted to the Santo Spirito in Sassia Hospital adjacent to the said College of Santa Monica, a first funeral was held at St. Peter's Patriarchal Vatican Basilica, followed by another at Mdina's Cathedral in his native Malta, prior to interment at the Santa Maria Addolorata Cemetery is the vaults of the Augustinian Friars.