The Archdiocese of Malta (
Malti: ''Arċidjoċesi ta' Malta'') is a
metropolitan archdiocese
A metropolis religious jurisdiction, or a metropolitan archdiocese, is an episcopal see whose bishop is the metropolitan bishop or archbishop of an ecclesiastical province. Metropolises, historically, have been important cities in their provinces.
...
of the
Latin Rite
Latin liturgical rites, or Western liturgical rites, are Catholic rites of public worship employed by the Latin Church, the largest particular church '' sui iuris'' of the Catholic Church, that originated in Europe where the Latin language once ...
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
Saint Publius ( mt, San Publju; grc-gre, Πούπλιος) is a first century Maltese bishop. He is venerated as the first Bishop of Malta and one of the first Bishops of Athens.
Publius is Malta's first acknowledged saint, the prince of t ...
, as the first bishop of Malta.
The Diocese of Malta was made a
suffragan diocese to the Metropolitan
Archdiocese of Palermo[http://maltahistory.eu5.net/mh/19586.html ] 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
The Diocese of Gozo ( la, Dioecesis Goulos-Gaudisiensis) is a Latin bishopric (diocese) of the Catholic Church in Malta, and the only suffragan in the ecclesiastical province of the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Malta, together covering the insular ...
which became a suffragan diocese to Malta.
Cathedrals
There are two
cathedral
A cathedral is a church that contains the '' cathedra'' () of a bishop, thus serving as the central church of a diocese, conference, or episcopate. Churches with the function of "cathedral" are usually specific to those Christian denominatio ...
s in the diocese:
The Metropolitan Cathedral of Saint Paul, in
Mdina, and
the Co-Cathedral of Saint John the Baptist, located in
Valletta
Valletta (, mt, il-Belt Valletta, ) is an administrative unit and capital of Malta. Located on the main island, between Marsamxett Harbour to the west and the Grand Harbour to the east, its population within administrative limits in 2014 wa ...
.
Important dates
*22 January (previously 21 January) - Memorial of
Saint Publius
Saint Publius ( mt, San Publju; grc-gre, Πούπλιος) is a first century Maltese bishop. He is venerated as the first Bishop of Malta and one of the first Bishops of Athens.
Publius is Malta's first acknowledged saint, the prince of t ...
*5 February - Memorial of St.
Agatha of Sicily
Agatha of Sicily () is a Christian saint. Her feast is on 5 February. Agatha was born in Catania, part of the Roman Province of Sicily, and was martyred . She is one of several virgin martyrs who are commemorated by name in the Canon of the ...
*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
The Diocese of Gozo ( la, Dioecesis Goulos-Gaudisiensis) is a Latin bishopric (diocese) of the Catholic Church in Malta, and the only suffragan in the ecclesiastical province of the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Malta, together covering the insular ...
Bishops of Malta
Auxiliary Bishops of Malta
*
Annetto Casolani (1848–1866)
*
Michael Franciscus Buttigieg
Michael Franciscus Buttigieg (3 November 1793 – 12 July 1866) was a Maltese prelate who became the first Roman Catholic Diocese of Gozo, Bishop of Gozo in 1864.
Buttigieg was born on November 3, 1793 in Qala, Malta, Qala, Gozo, Malta and bap ...
(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
The culture of Malta reflects various societies that have come into contact with the Maltese Islands throughout the centuries, including neighbouring Mediterranean cultures, and the cultures of the nations that ruled Malta for long periods of ti ...
*
History of Malta
*
List of Churches in Malta
*
List of monasteries and convents in Malta
*
Religion in Malta
The Catholic branch of Christianity is the predominant religion in Malta. The Constitution of Malta establishes Catholicism as the state religion, and it is also reflected in various elements of Maltese culture; however, in recent years the ...
Further reading
* Outline of Maltese History 1971 AC. Aquilina & Co; Appendix III.
References
External links
*
Bishops of Malta*
{{authority control
Apostolic sees
Catholic Church in Malta
Dioceses established in the 1st century
Malta
Malta ( , , ), officially the Republic of Malta ( mt, Repubblika ta' Malta ), is an island country in the Mediterranean Sea. It consists of an archipelago, between Italy and Libya, and is often considered a part of Southern Europe. It lies ...