SENGLEA THROUGH THE AGES – 62 & 63

 

Sad events which befell Senglea during the French occupation

 

     In a previous chapter we had a look at the Inquisition which ended its time in Malta just over two hundred years ago and not it is obvious that we see how the French occupation of Malta affected our city. The French occupation of Malta covers a short period that is from 1798 to 1800. But the upheavals caused were tremendous and we are still feeling some of these consequences even today.

 

Vain expectations

 

     As events were unfolding it was obvious that Malta was going to fall into Napoleon Bonaparte’s hands. There were some who welcomed this change because they hoped for a better future. There were many who betrayed the Order of St John. The opinion of the Maltese was divided. There were many who had diverse opinion regarding the French occupation. Two great personalities, namely Dun Mikiel Xerri and Canon Frangisku Saverju Caruana, who both came from the same village of Zebbug, had totally opposing views regarding the occupation. The former was totally against the occupation while the latter was all in favour.

 

     Here we will see how Senglea was affected by these events. I have already dealt with the French occupation in my third volume about Senglea namely: L-Isla, fi grajjiet il-Basilka-Santwarju ta’ Marija Bambina (pp. 27-33). But there are other events which are worthwhile to be known. When the French occupied Malta, the church of Senglea had been a Collegiate for a mere twelve years. My distant relative, the Arch priest Dun Salv Bonnici had been working in the parish since 1762 when he was the vicar for the Parish priest Dun Fortunat Vella. Dun Salv Bonnici was elected as Parish priest in 1778 and elevated to the title of Arch priest in 1786, when the church of Senglea became a Collegiate. The Arch priest Bonnici was coming towards the end of his life during the occupation by the French.

 

Supply of food on Corpus Christi day

 

     By the 6th June 1798 the French fleet was already stationed just outside the shores of our islands. They were days of great tension but the people of Malta were greatly relieved by the first action taken by the French during these pre occupation days. On the 7th June 1798, the fleet of the Order of St John was on its way to Malta with provisions of food. The French permitted the fleet of the Order to pass through unhindered and the much awaited provision could safely reach our ports.

 

     When the food provisions arrived safely in Malta, the islands were celebrating the feast of Corpus Christi. The feast was celebrated among great uncertainties, hence the usual pomp and joyous celebrations were nowhere to been seen. The external feasts were more sombre than usual and the procession in Senglea was not accompanied by the usual setting off of fireworks from the ships in the harbour. Fort St Anglo remained silent, but as usually happens in such sad circumstances the uncertainty and the fear of a siege made the people show greater devotion to the solemn feast being celebrated.

 

     For the feast of Corpus Christi two processions were usually held in Senglea on the morning and one in the afternoon. The Arch priest had the right to be the celebrant of both processions. From our records we know that the processions of other feasts were led by the leader of the Canons. In Senglea the eight days following Corpus Christi were also celebrated with great solemnity in Church. That year these eight days fell between the 8th and the 14th June, but these days fell on the worse days possible of the French occupation.

 

The eight days after Corpus Christi

 

     In Senglea a special preacher used to come to make a sermon during the services held on the eight days after Corpus Christi. For that year the Arch priest Bonnici chose a preacher who was going to have close connection with Senglea in the very near future. He was Dun Vincenz Cachia who at that time was provost of the Philippines who were in charge of the convent in Senglea which is found next to the church of Our Lady of Save Haven or as is more commonly known the church of St Philip. Dun Vincenz Cachia was later on to become the second Arch priest of Senglea and he took up this position during the time of the French in Malta. While the external feasts was celebrated without much pomp that year, the church ceremonies were held in more solemn way during those dark days in the history of our islands. The solemnity tied up to this feast was only shown in the church. More devotion was shown towards the Blessed Sacrament and lots of candles were lit up in front of the Blessed Sacrament and two candles were left on day and night.

 

Protection of the Grand Harbour

 

     The French landed at St Julians and started attacking villages plundering wherever they passed through. By the 10th June there were some casualties on both sides both Maltese and French. They had an easy passage most of the way because many betrayed the Order of St John and therefore they also betrayed Malta.

 

     For the time being the Grand Harbour was still in the hands of the Order of St John. Owing to its strategic position in the harbour the people of Senglea gave all their support to the Order. Heavy ropes were put up between Senglea and For St Angelo so that the French fleet could not enter the creek separating Senglea from Fort St Angelo and Vittoriosa. During the night of the 11th June the Order of St John decided to abandon Malta and leave it in the hands of the French. The Order felt that there were too many people who had betrayed it.

 

     This was just the beginning of two long hard years for Malta and Senglea that is the years 1798 to 1800. The part Senglea played during these two horrible years will be shown in other articles.

SENGLEA THROUGH THE AGES – 63

 

Salvatore Gaffiero:  A Senglean Bishop

 

   One hundred years since he was ordained in 1899 – how he was chosen from documents found at the Vatican, London and in Malta

 

Senglea’s place in the hierarch of the local church

 

     In 1807 a citizen from Senglea, was elected Bishop of Malta and titular Arch Bishop of Rhodes. He was the first in a succession of Maltese Bishops. He was Ferdinandu Mattei. At the end of the 19th century, Mons Salvatore Gaffiero another Senglean became the first Canon from our Collegiate to be appointed Bishop and he became the auxiliary to Arch Bishop Pietru Pace. Mons Gaffiero was not the last Senglea to be appointed Bishop because Mons Emmanuel Galea was appointed auxiliary Bishop to Arch Bishop Mawru Caruana in 1942 and later on served also in similar position with Arch Bishop Michael Gonzi. I have already given some information regarding Bishop Gaffiero in my book about the history of Senglea,(1) but new documents are always cropping up and now apart from documents found in archives in Malta we have new access to documents found at the Vatician’s archives and others found in the Public Records Office in Kew near London. In the London’s archives in the section dedicated to the Colonial Office, there are hundreds of manuscripts all dealing with events in Malta.

 

     In another chapter of my series Minn Grajjiet Beltna, I will write the main points about the life of Bishop Gaffiero, a Senglean who is hardly remembered by anyone.

 

An unpopular English law

 

     When Malta was recognised as a British colony by the European nations the British Government was showing great fear of foreign intervention in the affairs of Malta. From the early days of the colonization of Malta by the British they showed their reluctance in having a Bishop who did not have their approval. This is amply shown when they other Senglea Ferdinando Mattei, was chosen in 1807.(2)

 

     After the year 1838 the British Government was more insistent in their demands. On the 12th January 1838, the Governor Henry F. Bouverie during a meeting of his Council, and with the approval of the Colonial Office in London, decided to issue an edit regulating the participation of foreigners in the running of the church in Malta. The edit said that no foreign authority could bestow any ecclesiastical title or benefit without the approval of the Governor and if no approval was given the nomination was considered as invalid. The edit covered the appointment of Arch priests, Canons and even local Superiors of Convents, when these nominations were made by Superiors who were not Maltese.(3) This edit end held for the nominations of Bishops who were appointed by the Paul who was too considered as being a foreigner. With regards to the appointment of Bishops, the British Government paid great attention on how to act especially if the Bishop was going to be chosen from among the local clergy. The documents at Kew show clearly how the Colonial Office acted in these circumstances.

 

The British, Pietru Pace and Gaffiero

 

     Most of the low profile appointments were accepted without any trouble by the Governor but the Colonial Office always paid great care and attention when the appointment of a Bishop was being considered. They used to feel great hurt when the name of the proposed Bishop was made public before the request for his appointment had been submitted let alone approved. In such cases, if the Bishop was not given the necessary approval by the Governor problems could be created with the people of Malta.(5)

 

     The Arch bishop Pietru Pace never had any problems with the British Government because he was very tactful. He used to choose his auxiliary and when the Governor rebuked him because of his failure to consult him, the Arch bishop used to assure them that he had no idea of disrupting their policies.

 

     By the end of the 19th century Arch bishop Pietru Pace had in mind to appoint Mons Gaffiero as his auxiliary. Mons Gaffiero served loyally and diligently as Parish priest of Gharghur and Floriana. Then he was appointed as Monsignor of the Cathedral. The Bishop Anton Buhagiar, who was the Apostolic Administrator of the diocese, made Mons Gaffiero responsible of various areas of the church’s administration. Mons Gaffiero was also appointed as Assistant Vicar General and one of his main responsibilities was the running of all the nuns’ monasteries and convents which fell under the jurisdiction of the Bishop.(6) He was also made the Director of the institute in charge of Christian doctrine.(7)

 

     Not many knew by the Arch Bishop Pietru Pace was aspiring to become a Cardinal. In a private and confidential letter of the 18th October 1895, the Governor Sir Arthur J. Lyon Fremantle informed the Secretary of State for the Colonies, Joseph Chamberlain, about Bishop’s Pace dreams.(8) At the same time that Arch Bishop Pietru Pace was thinking of making Mons Gaffiero the Auxiliary Bishop, Mons Dun Vincenz Vassallo, Dean of the Cathedral, informed the Governor Fremantle privately about what was being planned. The Governor wrote to Wingfield who was stationed at the Foreign Office in London and told him that to safeguard British interests it was better if Mons Vassallo was pushed as the British choice for the post of Auxiliary Bishop.(9)

 

     Gaffiero was not considered as being particularly pro or anti British. He was a humble person who even though the Bishop entrusted him with lots of responsibilities, he always kept his feet on the ground. Moreover, on more than one occasion, he expressed his opinion that he did not deserved to be appointed as Bishop.(10)

 

Nominated Bishop after being recommended

 

     Arch Bishop Pace decided not to recommend anyone who had an ambition to become a Bishop. For the first nine years as Bishop that is from 1889 to 1898, he did not feel that he had the need of any auxiliary. In 1898 when he was 67, he decided to propose to Pope Leo XIII to appoint an auxiliary Bishop for Malta. Without bother to inform the Governor he proposed Mons Gaffiero to the Vatican. Mons Gaffiero was seventy at that time, slightly older than the Arch Bishop Pace. The Pope accepted the proposal and on the 28th November 1898 he appointed Mons Gaffiero as Titular Bishop of Silimbinja.(11)

 

      The British Government was worried by the fact that the Arch Bishop Pace did not bother to inform the local Civil Authorities about his plans. Mons Gaffiero was also approached and interviewed by the Civil Authorities but their conclusions were that they did not have to worry about his attitude. The Marquis Salisbury in London was informed by a letter of the 14th December 1898 and the Under Secretary of the State of the Colonies was informed by the local authorities by a letter of the 23rd December 1898. We know from documents that Lord Chamberlain, as Secretary of the Colonies, was of the opinion that the British Government need not lodge any protests re this appointment.(12)

 

     A confidential letter was sent by the Governor Fremantle on the 30th December 1898, wherein he showed how upset he was that he was not consulted regarding this matter. But the appointment of Mons Gaffiero was reluctantly and silently accepted by the British Government. One of the main reasons why the British Government took this appointment so lightly was because there was not mention in this appointment that Mons Gaffiero was going to succeed Arch Bishop Pace as Bishop. In fact his nomination as Auxiliary Bishop did not mention any right of succession.(13)

 

     On the 15th January 1899, the Arch Bishop Pietru Pace himself consecrated Mons Gaffiero as Bishop at the Co Cathedral of St John.(14)

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