14 Facts About Joseph Mercieca

Joseph Mercieca was a Maltese prelate who served as the second Archbishop of Malta from 1976 to 2006.

Joseph Mercieca is credited with restoring stability in the Maltese church following the dispute between the Malta Labour Party and his predecessor Mikiel Gonzi, the then Archbishop of Malta.

Archbishop Mercieca was born in Victoria on the island of Gozo in Malta.

Joseph Mercieca was baptised on 14 November 1928 and received the other sacraments at the parish church of St George in Victoria.

Joseph Mercieca entered the Gozo seminary to study for the priesthood but continued his studies in Rome at the Gregorian university and the Lateran university.

Joseph Mercieca was ordained to the priesthood in 1952 by His Excellency Joseph Monsignor Pace, Bishop of Gozo, at St James's Church in Victoria, Gozo.

In 1969, the then Father Joseph Mercieca was appointed, by Pope Paul VI, to judge the Roman Rota.

Joseph Mercieca was consecrated bishop by His Excellency Sir Mikiel Monsignor Count Gonzi, Archbishop of Malta, on the feast of St Michael in St John's Co-Cathedral, Valletta.

Joseph Mercieca spent the next thirty years as the spiritual shepherd of the Archdiocese of Malta.

Archbishop Joseph Mercieca offered his resignation to Pope John Paul II on 11 November 2003.

Joseph Mercieca remained archbishop until 2 December 2006, and was succeeded by Paul Monsignor Cremona in January 2007.

Archbishop Joseph Mercieca had a brother who is a priest serving in his home parish of St George in Victoria.

Archbishop Joseph Mercieca's health began to deteriorate, and he was unable to attend Charles Scicluna's appointment as Archbishop in February 2015.

Joseph Mercieca died at 7:20 am the following day in a house in Zejtun.