Archdiocese of Malta

The Archdiocese of Malta (Malti: Arċidjoċesi ta' Malta) is a metropolitan archdiocese of the Latin Church of the Catholic Church in Malta.

History

Tradition claims that St. Paul the Apostle established the diocese of Malta in the year 60 A.D when he ordained the Roman governor, Saint Publius, as the first bishop of Malta and saint.

The Diocese of Malta was made a suffragan diocese to the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Palermo by a Papal Bull of Pope Adrian IV on 10 July 1156 and confirmed by Pope Alexander III on 26 April 1160. The former Diocese of Malta, which is one of the oldest dioceses in the world, was elevated to archdiocese on January 1, 1944. The Diocese of Malta included the islands of Malta, Gozo and Comino. On September 22, 1864, the diocese lost the territories of Gozo and Comino when Pope Pius IX established the Diocese of Gozo which became a suffragan diocese to Malta.

The Catholic Caritas Malta, one of the best-known civil-society organisations in the country, was founded in 1968 at the initiative of Archbishop Mikiel Gonzi and Bishop Nikol Cauchi.

Cathedrals

There are two cathedrals in the diocese: The Metropolitan Cathedral of Saint Paul, in Mdina, and the Co-Cathedral of Saint John the Baptist, located in Valletta.

Important dates

• 22 January (previously 21 January) - Memorial of Saint Publius
• 5 February - Memorial of St. Agatha of Sicily
• 10 February - Solemnity of the Shipwreck of St Paul
• 25 February - Memorial of Maria Adeodata Pisani
• 9 May - Feast of St. George Preca
• 1 July - Memorial of Nazju Falzon
• 8 October - Dedication of the Metropolitan Cathedral

Flag

The flag is a bicolour consisting of yellow on left and white on the right. It is a 2:3 ratio; the same as the Maltese flag.

Suffragan

• Diocese of Gozo

Bishops of Malta

Auxiliary Bishops of Malta

• Annetto Casolani (1848–1866)
• Michael Franciscus Buttigieg (1863–1864)
• Salvatore Gaffiero (1899–1906)
• Paolo Rosario Farrugia (1907)
• Angelo Portelli (1911–1927)
• Emmanuele Galea (1942–1974)
• Emanuele Gerada (1967–1968)
• Joseph Mercieca (1974–1976)
• Annetto Depasquale (1998–2011)
• Charles J. Scicluna (2012–2015)
• Joseph Galea-Curmi (2018–)

See also

• Culture of Malta
• History of Malta
• List of Churches in Malta
• List of monasteries and convents in Malta
• List of Retreat Houses in Malta
• Religion in Malta

Further reading

• Outline of Maltese History 1971 AC. Aquilina & Co; Appendix III.

External links

• Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). "Malta". Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company.

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