‘Gozo father's’ dream fulfilled posthumously

People make wrong decisions at times and in doing so drag themselves and others down but the late Gozo Bishop Nikol Cauchi believed every man could change with some help.

His conviction in the rehabilitation of man was spelt out in a series of articles in which he reflected on a number of social issues and problems he saw around him.

His articles delved into a wide range of subjects that ranged from domestic violence and poverty, to employment issues and illiteracy.

He also wrote about the role of the Church and morality and debated subjects that are still hot till this day, such as divorce and immigration.

Mgr Cauchi’s works have now been collected in a book – Bishop Cauchi: Articles And Pictures – that will the launched today, one day after what would have been his 82nd birthday. The bishop passed away on November 15, 2010, after a short illness.

The book was put together by the Bishop Nikol Cauchi Foundation and the Gozo Diocese and contains 60 articles he had written in The Times and The Sunday Times between 2002 and 2010.

The book’s editor, Steve Mallia, who was also a close friend of the bishop, said that a few months before Mgr Cauchi died he had expressed the wish to publish his articles in book form. The book, dedicated to the bishop’s brothers and sisters, is a way of granting that wish.

A range of photos, covering various stages of Mgr Cauchi’s life, were included in response to a popular demand in Gozo, where he served as bishop between 1972 and 2006, to have some form of picture album of the bishop who was known as “Gozo’s father”.

The book will be available for sale at all leading bookshops and all proceeds will go towards the foundation that aims to promote dialogue through socio-cultural and religious activities, which he was so fond of.

A very well-read man, Mgr Cauchi was known for his intellect and ability to deliver profound messages using simple words. He was also known for his jovial character and one of his articles spoke about humour.

“There is a simple prayer on the wall of Chester Cathedral that has often been a source of inspiration for me: ‘Give me a sense of humour, Lord. Give me the grace to see a joke, to get some happiness in life and pass it on to other folk.’ Perhaps it can inspire a few others too,” he once wrote.