Joseph Mercieca

His Excellency Joseph Mercieca
Archbishop Emeritus of Malta
Native name	Ġużeppi Mercieca
Church	Roman Catholic Church
Archdiocese	Archdiocese of Malta
Province	Malta
Appointed	29 November 1976
In office	1976-2006
Predecessor	Mikiel Gonzi
Successor	Paul Cremona
Orders
Ordination	8 March 1952 by Joseph Pace
Consecration	29 September 1974 by Michael Gonzi
Personal details
Born	(1928-11-11) November 11, 1928 Victoria, Gozo, Malta
Nationality	Maltese
Previous post	Auxiliary Bishop of Malta (1974-1976) Judge of the Sacred Roman Rota (1969-1974) Consulter to the Congregation of the Sacraments and of the Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith (1974-1976) Rector of the Gozo Major Seminary (1959-1969)[1]

Joseph Mercieca (born 11 November 1928) is a Maltese prelate who served as Archbishop of Malta from 1976 to 2006.

Biography

Archbishop Mercieca was born in Victoria on the island of Gozo in Malta.^[2] He was baptised on 14 November 1928 and received the other sacraments at the parish church of St George in Victoria.^[3] He entered the Gozo seminary to study for the priesthood but continued his studies in Rome at the Gregorian university and the Lateran university. He was ordained to the priesthood in 1952 by Joseph Pace, the Bishop of Gozo at St James’ Church in Victoria, Gozo.^[4] In 1958, he was chosen to be the rector of the Gozo Major Seminary. In 1969 Father Mercieca was appointed, by Pope Paul VI, to judge the Roman Rota.^[5]

Five years later Pope Paul VI appointed him Auxiliary Bishop of Malta to assist Archbishop Gonzi.^[6] He was consecrated bishop by Archbishop Michael Gonzi on the feats of St Michael in St. John's Co-Cathedral Valletta. After Archbishop Gonzi retired in 1976, Bishop Mercieca succeeded him. He spent the next thirty years as the spiritual shepherd of the Archdiocese of Malta. Archbishop Mercieca was succeeded as Archbishop by Paul Cremona. Archbishop Mercieca has a brother who is also a priest serving in his home parish of St. George in Victoria.

References