Bishops of Malta

Ordinaries of Malta

Diocese of Gozo

Nunciature to Malta & Gozo

Maltese Cardinals

Archdiocese of Malta

Archidioecesis Melitensis o Melevitanus

Bishop(s)

 

Suffragan Dioceses

General Information

    • Type of Jurisdiction: Archdiocese
    • Elevated: 1 January 1944
    • Metropolitan See
    • Rite: Latin (or Roman)
    • Country: Malta
    • Square Kilometers: 246 (95 Square Miles)
    • Official Web Site:www.maltadiocese.org/
    • Mailing Address: P.O. Box 29 , Valletta,Malta VLT1000
  • Telephone: 21245350
  • Fax: 21242971

Historical Details

  • Diocese of Malta
    • Latin Name: Melitensis o Melevitanus
    • Country: Malta

Past and Present Ordinaries

No records are extant of the early period of the Maltese Church history. Only tradition holds that Christianity was introduced in Malta by St Paul during his wintering in the Maltese harbours after the shipwreck c. Nov 60 AD, as related in the Acts of the Apostles (Acts 27-28)

Scanty archaeological remains have proved that Christianity might have been established here about the seventh century after the Christian era.

The diocese of Malta, in later years, was raised to a suffraganea of the metropolitan Cathedral of Palermo, by a Papal Bull of Adrian IV dated 10th July 1156, and confirmed by Alexander III on 26th April 1160.

By a Papal Brief, dated 3rd March 1797, Bishop Vincenzo Labini and all his successors in the diocese of Malta, were given the title of Bishop of Malta and Archbishop of Rhodes. This privilege was suppressed in 1928, and the title was changed to Archbishop, Bishop of Malta. The diocese of Malta was separated from the Archdiocese of Palermo on 20th June 1831. Pius XII raised the diocese of Malta to a Metropolitan See in 1944.

The political, social, economic and ecclesiastical conditions of the Maltese islands must be studied in the contemporary history of Sicily, because they were exposed to the same internal and external influence.

There are many gaps in the list of the Bishops of Malta. Those dates marked with an asterisk (*) refer to the first reference not date of appointment. Records dating from 1432 are based on documentary evidence only.

Bishop Reference Date
Julianus + May 553*
Lucillus + Jul 592*
Traianus + Jan 603*
Manas + 3 Apr 883*
Stephanus + 1140*
? + 10 Jul 1156*
Joannes + Feb 1168*
Rogerius de Cephaludo + ante 1253*
Dominicus + 8 May 1253*
Jacobus de Miletu + 27 May 1259*
? + 1266*
Andreas Bancherini + 1270*
Jacobus + 1284*
Nicholaus + 21 Jan 1304*
Alduinus + 1330*
Henricus de Cephaludo + 10 Jan 1334*
Nicholaus Boneti + 27 Nov 1342
Ogerius + 27 Oct 1343
Jacobus + 7 Jun 1346*
Hilarius Conradus + 15 Jun 1356*
Antonius + 19 Aug 1370
Conradus + 3 Sep 1371*
Antonius de Vulponno + 19 Oct 1375
Maurus Cali’ + 4 Jul 1393
Andreas de Pace + 1408*
Antonius + 29 Jul 1409*
Andreas + 4 Jul 1414*
Joannes Eximinus + 16 Mar 1418
Maurus de Albraynio + 21 Aug 1420
Bishop Dates
1432 Senatore de Mello de Noto + 13 Feb 1432
1445 Jacobus Vassallo + 21 Dec 1445
1447 Antonio de Alagona + 21 Jun 1447
1479 Giovanni Paternione + 8 Jan 1479
1489 Petrus de Fuxo + 6 Jul 1489
1491 Paolo della Cavalleria + 18 Feb 1491
1495 Giacomo Vualguerra + 30 Mar 1495
1501 Antonio Corsetus + 20 Dec 1501
1504 Giovanni de Castro + 20 Mar 1504
1506 Bandinello de Saulis + 5 Oct 1506
1509 Bernardo de Bononia + 23 Feb 1509
1512 Giovanni Pujades + 21 Jan 1512
1514 Juan de Sepulveda + 14 July 1514 Appointed – 1516 Resigned
1516 Bernardo Catagnano + 9 Apr 1516
1516 Raffaele Riario + 1516
1520 Bonifacio Catagnano + 28 Mar 1520
1523 Girolamo Ghinucci {Ginucci} + 10 Sep 1523 Appointed – 20 Mar 1538 Resigned
1538 Tommaso Bosio + 20 Mar 1538 Appointed – 15 May 1539
1540 Domenicus de Cubellis + 10 Dec 1540 Appointed – 22 Nov 1566 Died
1572 Martin Rojas de Portalrubio + 5 Nov 1572 Appointed – 19 Mar 1577 Died
1578 Tomas Gargallo + 11 Aug 1578 Appointed – 10 Jun 1614 Died
1614 Baldassare Cagliares + 14 Dec 1614 Appointed – 4 Aug 1633 Died
1635 Miguel Juan Balaguer Camarasa + 12 Feb 1635 Appointed – 5 Dec 1663 Died
1666 Luca Bueno + 15 Dec 1666 Appointed – 7 Sept 1668 Died
1670 Lorenzo Astiria + 16 June 1670 Appointed – 5 Jan 1678 Died
1678 Michele Giovanni Molina + 18 Apr 1678 Appointed – 25 May 1682 Died
1684 Davide Coccopalmieri + 15 May 1684 Appointed – 19 Sept 1711 Died
1713 Joaquin Canaves, O.S. + 30 Aug 1713 Appointed – Jun 1721 Died
1722 Gaspare Gori-Mancini + 5 June 1722 Appointed – 16 July 1727 Died
1728 Paul Alpheran de Bussan+ 8 Mar 1728 Appointed – 29 Apr 1757 Died
1757 Bartolome Rull, O.S. + 19 Dec 1757 Appointed – 19 Feb 1769 Died
1770 Giovanni Pellerano + 30 May 1770 Appointed – 18 Mar 1780 Died
1780 Vincenzo Labini + 19 June 1780 Appointed – 30 Apr 1807 Died
1807 Ferdinando Mattei + 18 Sep 1807 Appointed – 14 Jul 1829 Died
1831 Francesco SaverioCaruana + 28 Feb 1831 Appointed – 15 May 1831 Ordained Bishop – 17 Nov 1847 Died
1847 Publio Maria Sant + 12 Apr 1847 Appointed – 25 Sept 1857 Resigned – 20 Oct 1864 Died
1857 Gaetano Pace-Forno, O.S.A. + 4 Dec 1857 Succeeded – 22 July 1874 Died
1875 Carmelo Scicluna + 15 Mar 1875 Appointed – 12 July 1888 Died
1889 Pietro Pace + 10 Feb 1889 Appointed – 29 Jul 1914 Died
1915 Mauro Caruana, O.S.B. + 22 Jan 1915 Appointed – 17 Dec 1943 Died
1943 Michael Gonzi + 17 Dec 1943 Succeeded – 30 Nov 1976 Retired
1976 Joseph Mercieca 29 Nov 1976 Appointed – 2 Dec 2006 Retired
2007 Paul Cremona, O.P. 2 Dec 2006 Appointed –  18 Oct 2014 Resigned
2015 Charles J Scicluna, 27 Feb 2015 Appointed – 

Historical Summary

Date

Event

From

To

Diocese of Malta

Archdiocese of Malta

1 January 1944

 Elevated Diocese of Malta Archdiocese of Malta

Statistics

ARCHDIOCESE OF MALTA

Year

Catholics

Total Population

Percent Catholic

Diocesan Priests

Religious Priests

Total Priests

Catholics Per Priest

Permanent Deacons

Male Religious

Female Religious

Parishes

Source

1950

278,000

280,000

99.3%

402

384

786

353

670

1,135

50

ap1951

1970

280,000

294,000

95.2%

417

462

879

318

727

1,736

57

ap1971

1980

288,600

304,400

94.8%

443

438

881

327

601

1,470

64

ap1981

1990

321,000

325,000

98.8%

369

442

811

395

560

1,254

64

ap1991

1999

320,000

340,000

94.1%

340

411

751

426

512

1,271

63

ap2000

2000

330,000

350,000

94.3%

370

406

776

425

505

1,236

64

ap2001

2001

335,000

350,000

95.7%

329

411

740

452

504

1,010

64

ap2002

2002

337,000

353,000

95.5%

321

434

755

446

529

966

64

ap2003

2003

337,500

354,000

95.3%

316

431

747

451

523

965

64

ap2004

2004

337,800

354,900

95.2%

312

424

736

458

497

939

64

ap2005

Maltese Cardinals

Affiliated Bishops, Living

Affiliated Bishops, Deceased

since 1514

Diocese of Gozo

Dioecesis Gaudisiensis

Bishop(s)

General Information

  • Type of Jurisdiction: Diocese
  • Erected: 22 September 1864
  • Metropolitan: Archdiocese of Malta
  • Rite: Latin (or Roman)
  • Country: Malta
  • Square Kilometers: 67 (25 Square Miles)
  • Official Web Site: http://www.gozodiocese.org/
  • Mailing Address: P.O. Box 1, Republic Street, Victoria, Gozo, Malta
  • Telephone: 21556661; 21556427
  • Fax: 21551278

Past and Present Ordinaries

since 1864

Bishop Dates
Michael Franciscus Buttigieg + 22 Sep 1864 Succeeded – 12 Jul 1866 Died
Antonius Grech-Delicata-Testaferrata + 24 Sep 1868 Appointed – 31 Dec 1876 Died
Petrus Pace + 17 Mar 1877 Appointed – 10 Feb 1889 Appointed, Bishop of Malta
Ioannes Maria Camilleri, O.S.A. + 11 Feb 1889 Appointed – 21 Jan 1924 Retired
Michael Gonzi + 13 Jun 1924 Appointed – 14 Oct 1943 Appointed, Coadjutor Bishop of Malta
Joseph Pace + 1 Nov 1944 Appointed – 31 Mar 1972 Died
Nikol Joseph Cauchi + 20 Jul 1972 Appointed – 26 Nov 2005 Retired; died 15 Nov 2010
Mario Grech 26 Nov 2005 Appointed, 22 Jan 2006 Ordained Bishop –

Historical Summary

Date Event From To
22 September 1864 Erected Diocese of Gozo (erected)

Statistics

DIOCESE OF GOZO
Year Catholics Total Population Percent Catholic Diocesan Priests Religious Priests Total Priests Catholics Per Priest Permanent Deacons Male Religious Female Religious Parishes Source
1950 29,880 29,880 100.0% 138 29 167 178 47 217 14 ap1951
1970 26,272 26,317 99.8% 143 26 169 155 33 214 15 ap1971
1980 23,244 23,320 99.7% 160 26 186 124 37 199 15 ap1981
1990 25,003 25,095 99.6% 166 18 184 135 24 141 15 ap1991
1999 28,430 28,710 99.0% 172 21 193 147 25 116 15 ap2000
2000 28,943 29,235 99.0% 172 20 192 150 23 114 15 ap2001
2001 29,208 29,520 98.9% 167 17 184 158 20 114 15 ap2002
2002 29,905 30,405 98.4% 166 20 186 160 24 113 15 ap2003
2003 30,946 31,476 98.3% 165 23 188 164 27 109 15 ap2004
2004 31,709 32,335 98.1% 165 24 189 167 27 108 15 ap2005

Affiliated Bishops

Nunciature to Malta & Gozo

Bishop(s)

General Information

  • Type of Jurisdiction: Nunciature
  • Erected: 15 December 1965
  • Diplomatic Post
  • Country: Malta
  • Mailing Address: Rabat RBT 09 (Malta), Tal Virtu Road, Tal Virtu
  • Telephone: (356)21453457; 21453422
  • Fax: 21453423

Past and Present Ordinaries

 


Historical Summary

Date Event From To
15 December 1965 Erected Nunciature to Malta (erected)

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