Guilty of Heretical Tendencies
Franciscus was the son of Giorgio Sillato. He was ordained priest in Malta on 12 August, 1528 by Bishop Alberto de Nasis when he was hardly twenty years old. The same year of his ordination to the priesthood he was appointed Rector of the ‘Ta’ Bunoxeb’ benefice. The following year he received other benefices.
In December 1539 he was deputy for the Vicar General, Don Mattaeus Surdo. Bishop Cubellas in 1546 appointed him judge at the Ecclesiastical Curia, and in 1547 he was entrusted with the office of Communiere of the Maltese Clergy.
His moral behaviour, however, was far from exemplary. In 1547 he was denounced to Bishop Cubellas of serious misconduct as he was living in concubinage and kept relations with Garita and Caterina, daughters of Antonio Zerafa, the wife of Giovanna Said. Franciscus was imprisoned and the proceedings against him started immediately. In January 1548 he was still detained in prison. Finally a sentence was pronounced against him, but he appealed against this sentence to the Metropolitan of Palermo in 1549.
Apart from other benefices, Rev Sillato was also endowed with the parish prebend of Ħaż-Żebbuġ. On 12 December 1551, Sillato appointed as his procurator in Rome Fra Johanottus Bosio, who was then, a writer in the Archives of the Roman Curia. Bosio was commissioned to present Sillato’s resignation both from the above mentioned-parish prebend as well as from the Cathedral canonry , retaining for himself on both these entities a pension of fourteen Roman ducas. Later he had to face some trouble concerning the above-mentioned pension on the Ħaż-Żebbuġ parish prebend.
In the 1560s Bishop Cubellas took in hand, once more, the eradication of heretical tendencies from Malta. Rev Sillato found himself involved as a suspect. Proceedings against him were carried out and on 18 August 1563, Bishop Cubellas, pronounced a sentence against him. Sillato was found guilty of consulting, some years before, the late Friar Stefano Zurchi, Master of Theology, concerning the existence of the Purgatory. Rev Sillato had told him that there were valid reasons wherby such existence could no longer be maintained. Moreover Sillato had made his own not only this opinion but various other heretical tenets.
In January 1575, Mgr Dusina found him able to read though he understood nothing. Although he had been authorized by the bishop to hear priests’ confessions, as he did not provide the right answers concerning this sacrament, the Apostolic Visitor deemed him unsuitable to be its administrator.
Although earlier in life he had led a somewhat dissolute life, he had changed considerably with the passing of time and was, then leading a good moral life. Incidentally, he had had a daughter from these past relations. However his behaviour, in less than a year after Mgr Dusina’s favourable remarks, he restarted reverting back to the old days. On 30 January 1578, Rev Franciscus Sillato was forbidden from frequenting Antonia widow of Pasquale Carceppo under penalty of losing one third of his benefices.
Mgr Dusina also noted that he had incurred simony on his ordination to the priesthood as Bishop de Nasis received from him one ducat for each Major Order conferred on him. On par with similar cases, the said prelate obtained for him the necessary Papal absolution and dispensation for the irregularities committed on those occasions.
Later Rev Sillato moved, for some time, to Żurrieq. Between 1579 and 1580 he was carrying out pastoral duties here administering Baptism on various occasions. From 1575 till 1589, he was mainly employed in the service of the Cathedral assisting the celebration of Masses, for which he was given an annual salary of four uncias.
Rev Sillato recorded his Last-Will in the deeds of Notary Michele Xiberras on 1 September 1591 when he bequeated certain rights he enjoyed on a house to Marietta, wife of Francesco Genuis from Syracuse.
This biography is part of the collection created by Michael Schiavone over a 30-year period. Read more about Schiavone and his initiative here.