Michael Gonzi
Sir Count
Michael Gonzi (
16 November,
1885 -
22 January,
1984), was the first
Archbishop of
Archdiocese of Malta, and the 13th Bishop of
Malta. His grand nephew, is the Prime Minister of Malta ,
Lawrence Gonzi.
He was born in 1885 in
Birgu,
Malta and was ordained priest in 1908. In 1924 he was ordained as the 5th Bishop of
Gozo. He remained as Bishop of Gozo till
1943 when Bishop
Joseph Pace was ordained. On the 14th October
1943 he became
coadjator bishop of
Malta and Titular Bishop of
Lyrbe. It was only three months after, that Bishop Mauro Caruana died, and in 17th December Michael Gonzi became Bishop of Malta. The Diocese of Malta, was elevated to an archdiocese of Malta in
1944, and hence only after a few days he became
Archbishop of the
Archdiocese of Malta.
He was succeeded by Bishop Joseph Mercieca following retirement in
1976.
He died at the age of 98 on the 22nd January
1984.
Bishop Michael Gonzi, interdicted those who favoured the opinions of the Malta Labour Party. Their burial had to be done in unconsecrated land. This was due to the controversional proposal of integrating Malta with the
United Kingdom and fear that the Malta Labour Party was becoming a
Communist Party. The decree was issued on
17 March,
1961.
Reading newspapers of the
Malta Labour Party and attendance in the
Malta Labour Party mass meetings was declared a sin.
Gonzi was created Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire (KBE) entitled him to be known as Sir by George VI in the 1946 New Year's honours. In 1949, on the ocassion of the silver jubliee of his consecration as Bishop, Pope Pius XII made him assistant at the Papal Throne; in the same year he was conferred the degree of LL.D (Honoris Causa) by the University of Malta, and created Baliff Grand Cross of the Sovereign Military of St John of Malta. In 1963, the caudillo Francesco Franco of Spain conferred on Gonzi the title of Grand Cross of the Order of St Raimond de Penafort. He was appointed commander of the Holy Sepulchre in 1965.
Finally on the year of 1949, Gonzi was created a Papal Count for life for his tireless work on charity and collection of money from Malta for the Papacy. The title was created by Pope Pius XII.
Interdict (Roman Catholic Church)
