March 21 was an important moment in the life of the local Church, as newly appointed Archbishop Charles Jude Scicluna took possession of the Maltese diocese. The celebration on the day also saw the new Archbishop’s first solemn entry into his cathedral church. These two moments, in themselves distinct, were in the past often carried out at different times, following the candidate’s episcopal ordination.

At a time when travel was much more difficult than today, bishops often took possession of their diocese by proxy, which remained the custom in Malta well into the 20th century. Following this juridical act, when the bishop finally arrived in his diocese, the Pontifacale Romanum, a liturgical book that contained all the rites celebrated by a bishop, foresaw a specific celebration for the solemn entry of a bishop or a papal legate to a diocese. In Malta, this liturgical rite, enriched with particular local customs, was last held for the solenne ingresso of Mgr Michael Gonzi, on May 22, 1944.

Gonzi had been appointed and consecrated as bishop of Gozo in 1924. He was then appointed bishop assistant with the right of succession to Dom Mauro Caruana, on October 14, 1943, after a very long process, which extended well through the previous decade. Given this appointment, Gonzi automatically succeeded Caruana on the latter’s demise on December 17, 1943. Following the elevation of the Maltese diocese to the rank of archdiocese by Pius XII, Gonzi was given the title of Archbishop and Metropolitan of the Maltese ecclesiastical province, on January 1, 1944.

At the time, Malta was starting its recovery from the destruction brought about by World War II. The appointment of Gonzi as bishop of Malta was certainly a cause of great joy for the local population. He had stood out for his fatherly and patriotic concern for his flock during the bitter days of war, and as bishop of Gozo had energetically intervened for the relief of the famished population through his collection of wheat from the Gozitan farmers.

So great was the enthusiasm of the crowd that it took over an hour for the bishop’s carriage to be drawn the short distance that separates this chapel [of St Sebastian] from the Dominican church

The festive celebrations of his first solemn entry into Mdina Cathedral have been immortalised by the vivid descriptions preserved in the newspapers of the day, by the various memoirs of the occasion, as well as by the film and photographic documentation that survives. An official memoir of the occasion was complied by Giuseppe Apap Bologna Navarra, archdeacon of the Metropolitan chapter, preserved in the archives of this same chapter. Apap Bologna captures in great detail the joy of the crowds present, as well as a detailed description that brings the venerable and intricate ceremonies to life.

Apap Bologna wanted the memory of the festive occasion to be preserved for posterity. And it is to these pages that we turn to understand the hope that the celebration generated in the local Church.

A committee had been set up, presided by judge Roberto Ganado, in order to prepare the festivities. As to be expected, the cathedral was fully adorned in red damask and silver artefacts, the archdeacon specifies, as customary for the patronal feasts of the conversion of St Paul, and for that of the martyrdom of saints Peter and Paul. The roads of Rabat and Mdina were fully decorated by foliage, banners and drapes.

Mgr Gonzi on a mare arriving in Cathedral Square, Mdina.

Well in advance, the bishop had published the date of the event, inviting as customary, the Metropolitan Chapter, the provost and chapter of Birkirkara, the clergy, the religious, as well as the people to participate. Gonzi took up residence at the Archbishop’s Palace in Valletta. The celebrations started off with a reception offered by the King’s Own Band Club of Valletta, attended by the most eminent members of both the ecclesiastical and the civil sphere.

On May 21, Gonzi left his palace in Valletta in a carriage drawn by four horses fully adorned for the occasion, accompanied by his two cappellani, reaching Saqqajja in Rabat at around 7pm, where a big crowd welcomed him. In front of the niche dedicated to St Paul, he was received by a canon of the Metropolitan chapter and by the organising committee.

At this point he was briefly addressed with great reverence by Ganado. The bishop also presented two banners to the local band clubs, L’Isle Adam and Conte Ruggiero, which animated the festivity.

Apap Bologna notes that in line with tradition the bishop was throughout accompanied by the canons of the Collegiate chapter of Birkirkara, as well as on this occasion by the vicar general of Gozo. At this point he was also saluted by a representative of the Collegiate chapter of St Paul’s Grotto of Rabat.

Once this first part of the ceremony ended, the carriage continued through Museum Road, turning onto St Augustine Avenue, so as to stop in front of the Augustinian church of St Mark. Here the horses were relieved of the carriage, and in line with an ancient tradition, from that point forward the carriage was drawn by a group of men.

On this occasion the men were members of the Catholic Action, which at the time constituted the bedrock of the organisation of the laity in the Church. With great reverence towards their new pastor, the men drew the carriage through Boschetto Road, towards the Dominican church of Our Lady of the Grotto.

The archdeacon praised the orderly manner in which the procession proceeded, thanks to the efforts of the organising committee and of police commissioner Joseph Axisa.

According to custom, the Metropolitan Chapter waited for the Archbishop in front of the church of St Sebastian, where he arrived at around 8.30pm, accompanied by the canons of Birkirkara and by the festive tunes of the two local band clubs.

Such traditions serve to manifest the faithful’s sentiments of love, joy and hope in our Lord’s providence, which through the guidance of his pastors, guides the Church in every age

So great was the enthusiasm of the crowd present that it took over an hour for the bishop’s carriage to be drawn for the short distance that separates this chapel from the Dominican church. Upon arrival, Gonzi addressed the crowd present from the balcony that adorns the facade of the Dominican priory.

Following this address, Gonzi received the Metropolitan chapter in a throne room adorned for the occasion, accompanied on his right by the Governor, and on his left by his vicar general Emmanuel Galea. At this point he was addressed in Latin by the provincial vicar of the Dominicans, Padre Gauci, to which Gonzi replied with an elegant Latin speech.

At around 10pm, a reception was offered to those present, followed by dinner served with great elegance by the Dominican students. The first evening of celebrations came to an end at around a quarter to midnight.

Mgr Gonzi with the Dominican community at Rabat on the eve of his solemn entry.

At the break of dawn on May 22, crowds started gathering along the processional route. The Metropolitan Chapter recited prime in the cathedral at 7.30am. The procession started from the cathedral at 8am, led by the Archconfraternity of St Joseph of Rabat with their banner, after which followed the members of the religious communities of Rabat and Mdina, the parish priests, including three representatives of the parish priests of Gozo, the chapter of Birkirkara, four representatives of the Cathedral Chapter of Gozo with their capitular mace bearer, and the members of the Metropolitan Chapter in mozzetta, with their mace bearer. The procession was led by the archdeacon dressed in mitre and cape. Vicar general Galea also accompanied the procession.

The procession arrived at St Augustine’s church in a quarter of an hour, where everything had already been prepared to receive Gonzi, who arrived at 8.30am dressed in cappa magna and the traditional green galero, preceded by Mgr E. Bonnici, chancellor of the diocesan curia. At St Augustine, Gonzi took the prescribed oath, at the hands of the archdeacon. Following this, the new archbishop was robed in pontifical garments at the main altar of the church, as prescribed by the Roman pontifical.

At this point, Gonzi mounted a white mare fully adorned for the occasion, and led under a golden baldacchino to the Mdina Cathedral. After entering through the main gate of Notabile, in front of the Banca Giuratale, the Archbishop was addressed by a seminarian, Philip Grech, who later joined the Salesian fathers. The Governor also joined the procession, accompanied by two members of the chapter.

The Archbishop accompanied by the Metropolitan Chapter. Vicar general Emmanuel Galea is partially hidden in the centre row in front of the mare.

At the cathedral, Gonzi following the prescribed rite, blessed the faithful with holy water, was incensed, and stopped for a moment of adoration in the Blessed Sacrament chapel. From there he was led to the presbytery, and there dressed in the liturgical clothing for Mass. The Archbishop then celebrated the stational Mass with his faithful.

This detail, the very heart of the whole ceremony, dates back to the paleo-Christian era, when the bishop regularly celebrated Mass surrounded by all his clergy and the whole community. This is the most important moment in the entire celebration, for in this act the local Church is represented in its fullness, as it offers the divine sacrifice led by its shepherd, representative of Christ, the true shepherd of his flock.

On this occasion the Pope granted the bishop the ne-cessary faculties to import the apostolic benediction with plenary indulgence to his faithful. The ceremony was followed by lunch, prepared at both the episcopal palace and at the refectory of the adjacent seminary. The parish priests offered their new archbishop the sum of £80 as a gift, and the members of the Metropolitan chapter offered another £30.

Following the liturgical reform, the rite is now carried out according to the Caeremoniale Episcoporum, promulgated by Pope John Paul II, on September 14, 1984. This rite, although greatly simplified, has retained at its heart the stational Mass, during which the Apostolic letter of appointment is read out, to which the flock answers “Deo Gratias”.

Afterwards the bishop is addressed by the most senior member of the Metropolitan chapter or of the college of consulters, following which he receives the act of reverence and obedience by representatives of the clergy and the faithful.

Both Joseph Mercieca and Paul Cremona fulfilled these rites in the manner required by the changed circumstances. Such traditions, outstanding for their deep liturgical and theological significance, also serve to concretely manifest the faithful’s sentiments of love, joy and hope in our Lord’s providence, which through the guidance of his pastors, guides the Church in every age.