Pisa’s Maltese Archbishop

The picture of the tower of Pisa, on the back page of the April 27 issue, reminded me of Paul Micallef OSA, who was Archbishop of Pisa and Primate of Sardinia.

Mgr Micallef hailed from Valletta. He joined the Austin Friars and was later elected prior general of the order and then appointed bishop by Pope Pius IX, carrying on as head of his order while in office.

Afterwards he was sent to Gozo as administrator of the diocese. Two years later, against the wishes of the Gozitans, he was appointed Bishop of Sansepolcro. The Gozitans wrote to the Holy See asking them to leave Mgr Micallef in Gozo. The reply was that Mgr Micallef would have a more important diocese than Gozo. He was later appointed Archbishop of Pisa and Primate of Sardegna. He died at Pisa aged 65.

I once happened to be at the Archbishop’s Palace of Pisa and was speaking to a priest from the Curia. When he knew I was a Maltese and an Augustinian he showed me the room that Mgr Micallef used. In it there is a painting showing the Grand Harbour. The priest explained the reason why Mgr Micallef put up that painting: he suffered from homesickness for Malta.