Michael Gonzi
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Count Sir 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.
| Denomination | Roman Catholic Church |
| Senior posting | |
| See | Malta |
| Title | Archbishop of Malta, Papal Count |
| Period in office | 1943 — 1976 |
| Consecration | 17 December 1943 |
| Predecessor | Mauro Caruana |
| Successor | Joseph Mercieca |
| Religious career | |
| Priestly ordination | 1977 |
| Previous bishoprics | Bishop of Gozo, Coadjator Bishop of Malta, Bishop of Malta, Titular Bishop of Lyrbe |
| Previous post | Bishop |
| Personal | |
| Date of birth | 13 May 1885 |
| Place of birth | Vittoriosa |
Contents |
[edit] Background
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 14 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 17 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 22 January 1984.
[edit] Controversies
Archbishop 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. Bishop Gonzi's actions were a source of embarrassment for the Church and distress for the families of those his decisions left buried outside of consecrated ground. An apology, for all the suffering has been offered in one of the documents issued at the end of the Diocesan Synod celebrated between 1999 and 2003. In the document "Vision of a Communial Church", the Church "reconfirms her great repentance at the way it inflicted pain as a resuilt of the past politico-religious controversies". Though it did not refer directly to Gonzi, the church in the spirit of Pope John Paul II's Tertio Millenio Ineunte asked forgiveness as well. The same was reiterated in the other Diocesan document Culture, Society and the Church.
[edit] Honours and Title
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 occasion 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.
