Francesco Saverio Caruana Explained

Type:Bishop
Honorific-Prefix:His Excellency
Francesco Saverio Caruana
Bishop of Malta
Church:Roman Catholic
Diocese:Malta
Appointed:28 February 1831
Term:1831-1847
Term Start:21 June 1831
Term End:17 November 1847
Predecessor:Ferdinando Mattei
Successor:Publio Maria Sant
Ordination:20 December 1783
Ordained By:Vincenzo Labini
Consecration:15 May 1831
Consecrated By:Publio Maria Sant
Rank:Bishop
Birth Date:7 July 1759
Birth Place:Żebbuġ, Hospitaller Malta
Buried:St. Paul's Cathedral, Mdina
Nationality:Maltese
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Francesco Saverio Caruana (7 July 1759 – 17 November 1847) was a Maltese prelate who was Bishop of Malta from 1831 to his death in 1847.[1] He was also a rebel leader during the Maltese uprising of 1798–1800.[2]

Caruana was born in Żebbuġ on 7 July 1759. At the age of 24, he was ordained priest by Archbishop Vincenzo Labini, and in 1796 he became canon of the Mdina Cathedral chapter.[3] During the French occupation of Malta Canon Caruana was made a member of the Commission de gouvernement (Government commission) but resigned some time later when he saw that he could not prevent the French from establishing unjust laws and when they started stealing precious artifices from the Maltese churches.[4] Canon Caruana played a prominent role in the Maltese uprising against the French and in bringing the British to Malta.[5] During the revolt, he was the commander of the battalions of Żebbuġ and Siġġiewi. Tas-Samra camp and battery fell under his overall command.[6]

In 1822 Caruana was nominated as the cathedral archdeacon and in 1829 he was appointed diocesan administrator upon the death of Bishop Ferdinando Mattei. Two years later, Pope Gregory XVI appointed him as the successor of Mattei; he was consecrated on 15 May 1831 by Publio Maria Sant, who would eventually become his successor in 1847.[7] Bishop Caruana died in 1847, at the age of 88, after 16 years as bishop.

Notes and References

  1. Book: Morana. Martin. Bejn Kliem u Storja. 2011. Books Distributors Limited. Malta. 978-99957-0137-6. https://web.archive.org/web/20161005162338/https://sites.google.com/site/kliemustorja/home/titlu/introduzzjoni/dwar-l-awtur/a/b/c/c/d. 5 October 2016. mt.
  2. Proceedings of History Week. Sammut. Joseph C.. 1992. Maltese Blockade Medals. 77–87. 2019-08-18. 2019-08-18. https://web.archive.org/web/20190818173627/http://maltahistory.eu5.net/hw/hw19924.html. dead.
  3. Web site: The Very Long Hiccup and the establishment of the Army Medical Services in Malta. 20 February 2014.
  4. News: Mangion. Fabian. Unidentified coat-of-arms on antique wall clock belong to Bishop Saverio Caruana (1). 20 February 2014. Times of Malta. 6 December 2009.
  5. Book: Refalo, Michael. Joaquim Ramos De Carvalho. Religion, Ritual and Mythology: Aspects of Identity Formation in Europe. Present (and Past) Concerns, Future Directions: Religion and the Church in the Writing of 19th-Century Maltese History. Edizioni Plus (Pisa University Press). May 2006. https://web.archive.org/web/20170212040400/http://www.cliohres.net/books/3/Refalo.pdf. 12 February 2017. 216. 978-8884924049.
  6. Spiteri. Stephen C.. Maltese 'siege' batteries of the blockade 1798-1800. Arx - Online Journal of Military Architecture and Fortification. May 2008. 6. 23. 4 April 2015.
  7. Web site: Bishop Francesco Saverio Caruana. Catholic-Hierarchy.org. 20 February 2014.