From among the members of a community in every town and village, there will always emerge some individual who distinguishes himself from the masses. These people achieve prominence because of some unusual contribution they give to society. History has never forgotten their names because of their great merits in several areas.

It is not easy to go through the events in history and say who was the greatest among the Senglea-born personalities. In spite of this, however, reason leads us to conclude that the highest tribute was that paid to Mgr Ferdinando Mattei, who was chosen to head the diocese of Malta.

Jacobo Antonio Ferdinando Mattei was born in Senglea on July 24, 1761. He was the son of Carlo and Filippa Scarfoni. On that same day he was baptised by Don Felice Vassallo, the vice-parish priest. He was nurtured in a rich family, built on sound Christian values.

After having received the priestly ordination by Bishop Vincenzo Labini, he became chaplain of the Gerosolmitan Conventual Order of St John and Grand Cross of the same order. At the same time, he was counsellor to the King of Sicily, Ferdinand I. He was also appointed a domestic prelate of the Pope and in 1804 he became dean of the cathedral chapter.

On December 28, 1804, Pope Pius VII (1800-1823) appointed Mattei as bishop of Paphos in partibus infidelium (a non-resident bishop in an episcopal see of a former diocese that no longer functions), and auxiliary bishop to Labini with the aim of supporting the aged and ailing Labini in carrying out his pastoral duties. Paphos is a coastal city in the southwest of Cyprus.

In May 1806, Mattei went to Palermo where he was consecrated bishop by the cardinal archbishop of that city. Meanwhile, Labini’s health continued to weaken and he passed away on April 30, 1807.

Labini, a personality endowed with knowledge, reverence and wisdom, had led the Maltese diocese since 1780, steering it through some of the islands’ most turbulent years. These had included the two years (1798-1800) of the French blockade.

The death of Labini, the last foreign bishop of our islands, brought anxiety among the people and intense diplomatic work between England, the King of Naples and the Vatican on the nomination of a successor. This was to be the first appointment of a bishop to the See of Malta since the Order of St John left the islands, which were now under British rule.

Since 1530, when Emperor Charles V of Aragon, as King of Sicily, handed the Maltese islands over to the Order of St John, the episcopate of Malta fell under the authority of the emperor and his successors as kings of Sicily. The choice of a new bishop was thus the prerogative of the King of Sicily. The emperor was to select the bishop of Malta from among three candidates nominated by the Grand Master.

It so happened that at the time of choosing a successor to Labini, King Ferdinand I of Sicily felt he had to put into practice this right of choice. This was done because England’s sovereignty over the Maltese islands had not yet been confirmed. In fact, King Ferdinando I presented Mattei as a candidate to the episcopate.

Meanwhile, Sir Alexander Ball, the Civil Commissioner, did his utmost to have a Maltese appointed as bishop of Malta, because this would bring to an end a centuries-old link between the local diocese and the archdiocese of Palermo. The Maltese themselves also preferred having one of their own as bishop, and indeed, Ball himself pledged that the new bishop would be Maltese. Pope Pius VII cast his eye on Mattei who, as Bishop of Paphos, had attended to Labini in the last years of his life. In the end, it seems that both King Ferdinando and King George III of England agreed with the choice of Mattei. But this was not enough.

As demanded by the regulations of a concistorial process, before the nomination was issued, two witnesses were called to answer, under oath, a number of questions about Mattei. These were Padre Pietro Laferla, an Augustinian, and the Cistercian monk Antonio Umano from Messina. Both spoke well of Mattei and of “his rare virtues”.

Thus, on September 27, 1807, Pope Pius VII appointed Mattei as Bishop of Malta and Titular Archbishop of Rhodes. This meant Mattei was the first Maltese bishop in 174 years, the last having been the Valletta-born bishop Baldassarre Cagliares, who died in 1633. He was also the one who inaugurated a long and uninterrupted sequence of Maltese bishops. Furthermore, never before had a bishop been chosen for the diocese of Malta from within the Metropolitan chapter.

Mattei was the first Maltese bishop in 174 years. He also inaugurated a long and uninterrupted sequence of Maltese bishops

According to ancient custom, which dates back to the time of the Saracens, the rite of the possession of a diocese was not taken by the bishop, who very often was a foreigner and lived outside the diocese, but by a canon of the cathedral delegated by the bishop himself. So, on May 15, 1808, Canon Don Salvatore Susano, the bishop’s delegate, took possession of the diocese on behalf of Mattei. At the end of the ceremony the Te Deum was sung to the pealing of bells and firing of cannons.

Two weeks later, on May 29, Mattei himself made his solemn entrance into Mdina and its cathedral, his archepiscopal seat. From the Dominican convent in Rabat, as was the norm, the bishop went to Mdina riding on a white mare and under a canopy. At the cathedral’s main door, the bishop, with the pastoral staff in hand, walked through the main aisle and a solemn Pontifical Mass was celebrated.

The cathedral chapter expressed their satisfaction and the nation’s pleasure for the promotion of a Maltese clergyman to such a high dignity. Senglea, Mattei’s birthplace, was also highly delighted with the choice of Labini’s successor. On that same day, as Mattei took possession of the diocese, in the collegiate church of Senglea, where he himself had been baptised, a solemn Te Deum was sung accompanied with the ringing of the bells of all the churches of the town. Mattei chose to celebrate, in his home town, the feast of the Birth of Our Lady on September 8, 1808.

Early in the morning, the bishop arrived by sea and he was awaited at the marina by the lieutenant of the city. From there he walked through the streets of Senglea up to the collegiate, where he was greeted by the chapter and clergy. Archpriest Vincenzo Cachia presented him with a bouquet of flowers and a sonnet printed on silk. The bishop celebrated a solemn high Mass.

Up to this day, one can still see inside the chapter hall a painting of Mattei, commissioned by the Senglea chapter. Furthermore, after the rebuilding of Senglea in the post-war years, on September 25, 1949, the chapter proposed to the authorities that a new street leading from Senglea’s main gate to the basilica be named after Mattei. All this was done with the aim of keeping alive Mattei’s personality and enthusiasm. The chapter’s request was accepted.

Between March and May 1813, Malta was again hit by the bubonic plague. Mattei brought his pastoral visit to Gozo to an abrupt end, returned to Malta and through a pastoral letter on May 24 ordered the closure of all churches with the aim of keeping the danger of the plague at bay as far as possible. From a population of 116,000 people, around 4,500 people died in that outbreak.

In another pastoral letter on January 29, 1914, Mattei announced that all churches in the diocese were to celebrate a thanksgiving Mass because the epidemic had passed. On that day he celebrated a pontifical Mass at the church of St John, at which Governor Sir Thomas Maitland was present.

Fortunately, Senglea was unaffected by that outbreak. In a gesture of gratitude to God and to Our Lady, its inhabitants erected a marble statue of the Virgin Mary Causa Nostrae Laetitiae (Beginning of Our Joy) in the middle of the city. This statue, sculpted by Vincenzo Dimech, was blessed in May 1816 by archpriest Cachia as a delegate of Mattei, who granted a 40-day indulgence to those who recited an Ave Maria in front of that statue.

A significant letter dated November 15, 1803, written by Alexander Macaulay, Ball’s secretary, and addressed to Mattei, discloses that the British wanted to commend to his attention a committee set up to assist the Maltese who were in need of help. This means that Ball looked upon Mattei, even when he had not yet become bishop, as a trusted ally, and asked for his aid in addressing the grave problem of the large number of poor and disabled who did not have any protection. Mattei was very familiar with the extent of help required by the poor and how the disabled were receiving the services they needed.

While Mattei was encouraged to do everything possible to find the greatest number of people to assist him in this social concern, the British administration appointed him as president and manager of a hospice for the poor and disabled. Mattei thoroughly completed his duty. It is really a tribute to Senglea to observe one of its own being chosen to collaborate with the British government for the benefit of the Maltese.

The charitable deeds of mercy and aid to the poor stand out in the life of Mattei. Whole families ravaged by misfortune and trouble rushed to him, their benefactor. Moved with pity, Mattei delivered them from their misery through generous grants. It can be said without hesitation that the bishop’s table became one which could alleviate the needs of those who were ill or plagued by poverty.

The episcopate of Mattei is marked by various events which, in addition to those already mentioned, have historical importance. Among these it is worth mentioning the following:

The charitable deeds of mercy and aid to the poor stand out in the life of Mattei

• The death in Malta of Prince Louis Charles d’Orleans. The ailing Count of Beaujolais arrived in Malta on May 16, 1808, in an attempt to regain his health, but it continued to deteriorate; he died of tuberculosis on the morning of May 30, 1808. He was only 19 years old. The funeral took place on June 3 with the greatest magnificence, as befitted royalty. Flags were flown at half-mast and troops lined the streets as the cortège followed the route to St John’s Co-Cathedral where a cappella ardente was set up with hundreds of candles producing a dazzling illumination. Dirges were intoned and Mattei celebrated High Mass. Fra Prospero Xuereb, Conventual Chaplain, read the funeral oration.

• After an illustrious diplomatic career, Fabrizio Sceberras Testaferrata was appointed the first Maltese cardinal. Valletta-born Testaferrata was ordained in 1802, aged 44. That year, on December 21, he was made titular Archbishop of Berytus. He was elevated to cardinal in pectore in 1816 and cardinal-priest of Santa Pudenziana in 1818. In Malta, festivities were held for the occasion, and Mattei celebrated a Pontifical High Mass at St John’s on June 25, 1818. He took part in the conclaves of 1823, 1829 and 1830.

• In 1815, Pope Pius VII granted the use of the pectoral cross to the chapter members of St Paul’s Shipwreck collegiate church in Valletta. On June 20, 1820, he erected the collegiate of St Lawrence in Vittoriosa, and on June 5, 1822, the collegiate of the Immaculate Conception in Cospicua was founded.

Throughout Mattei’s episcopate, the British government passed a number of laws that directly affected the Church. Under the administration of Sir Thomas Maitland, in June 1822, a law that limited the right of the Church to permanent property was implemented. Six years later, on April 10, 1828, during the administration of Governor Frederick Ponsomby, and on reaching an agreement with Rome, there came into force a law which abolished ecclesiastical immunity, so that criminals could be arrested even if they sought refuge in churches.

Mattei was planning to improve the state of the diocese but, worn out and in poor health, mostly with gout, he was constrained to retire to his residence in Lija. The leadership of the diocese was now in the hands of Mgr Emmanuele Rossignaud, the vicar general. Mattei died on July 14, 1829.

The Government Gazette of July 15, 1829, wrote: “It is with great regret we have to announce the death of this excellent prelate (who) held the Bishopric of Malta for the space of 21 years... He had nearly attained his 68th year, when he was called to a better world.”

From his residence in Lija, where he had died, Mattei’s body was taken to the Bishop’s Palace in Mdina, where he was exposed for the final farewell of the Maltese people. On July 17, 1829, the bishop was processionally taken to the cathedral where Canon Don Salvatore Susano celebrated solemn Mass De Requiem which was attended by a large crowd of people who gathered from every part of the islands.

After Mass, Padre Fortunato Vella, an Augustinian friar, delivered a funeral oration in which he described the life and qualities of the lamanted prelate. Mattei was interred at the cathedral, precisely in the chapel of the Annunciation, alongside his predecessor Labini. As appropriate, an epitaph in Latin was carved on the marble memorial which sealed his tomb.

This was Bishop Ferdinando Mattei, recorded in history as a man endowed with caring manners, cautious, charitable and benefactor of the poor; a man who enjoyed everyone’s esteem and praise, especially for the ingenuity with which he managed to solve the problems of his diocese. Suffice it to quote what was written in the Government Gazette:

“Among other virtues which adorned his character, he was eminent for the numerous charities which he dispensed with discerning judgment and without ostentation.”