I read with interest Fabian Mangion’s study entitled ‘Dom Mawru Caruana: minn monaku fl-abbazija ta’ Fort Agustus għal Arċisqof-Isqof ta’ Malta’ in Knisja Elfejn number 111.
The article is in many ways a definitive biography in article-style of the Maltese prelate. It is as detailed and informative as it could ever be, the work of a meticulous historian.
In footnote 80, the author refers to Fr Alexander Bonnici’s publication about crown images in the Maltese islands and quotes him as saying that Cardinal Alexis Lepicier’s visit to Gozo’s Ta’ Pinu Sanctuary was the first visit ever of a cardinal to the island of Gozo (June 20, 1935).
The text says: “Din kienet ukoll l-ewwel żjara ta’ kardinal f’Għawdex” (“This was the first visit of a cardinal to Gozo”).
For the sake of mere historical precision, it is interesting to note that the late Mgr Anton Gauci refers to Cardinal Domenico Ferrata in his book Dun Alwiġ ta’ Savina and says: “Kellu jkun dan il-kardinal li jiftaħ il-Knisja ta’ Savina fid-29 ta’ April 1913” (“It was to be this cardinal who opened Savina church on April 29, 1913”).
This little piece of information does not exclude the possibility of other cardinals having visited Gozo in previous times.