SENGLEA THROUGH THE AGES - 39

 The Archbishop Mawru Caruana – on the 50^th anniversary of his death.

An Archbishop who forms in integral part in the history of Senglea.

      The Archbishop Mawru Caruana, Bishop of Rhodes, passed away on the 19^th December 1943 after a terrible illness. This year (1993) is the fifty anniversary since his death and he seems to have already been forgotten. There are many organisations and parishes in Malta who have had close relations with this Archbishop. It is not right that we let him memory just fade away. Senglea should show gratitude and remember this Archbishop who was the main character who obtained honours for the parish of Senglea which led to great celebrations during his time as Archbishop.

The petition for the crowning of the statue of Marija Bambina

     Dom Mawru Caruana was Benedictine and he was ordained as Bishop of Malta on the 10^th February 1915 at the Basilica of Santa Maria in Trastevere in Rome by Cardinal Raffaele Merry Del Val.

     He took over the diocese of Malta during the hard period Malta faced because of World War I. Soon many people from Senglea started to ask him for his intervention so that the statue of Marija Bambina could be crowned. The Archpriest of Senglea at that time was Dun Guzepp Adami but once the war was still on it was difficult for the Archbishop to take much notice of this petition, he had other, more pressing work to do and think of. The devotion towards the statue of Our Lady of Victory grew during the war period. The procession was not held since all feasts and processions were suspended for the duration of the whole war.

     Once the war was over and life returned back to its usual routine, the Archbishop Mawru Caruana himself asked Pope Benedict XV for permission to have the statue of Marija Bambina crowned. All the attributes necessary for the crowning of the statue were there, namely, the statue was old; the devotion towards the statue of Our Lady have been going on for many years and the statue was showed all the necessary respect in the church.

The Archbishop present in Senglea for the reading of the degree

     The petition was presented to the Vatican in 1920 and, to the surprise of many, it was soon approved. The degree for the crowning is dated 1^st May 1920 and arrived in Malta on the 7^th May 1920. On Sunday 23^rd May 1920 the Archbishop Mawru Caruana was in Senglea and in his presence the degree was solemnly read out to all those present in the church. The degree was read out from on top of the pulpit by Mons Manwel Vassallo. After the speech by Mons Vassallo the Archbishop together with the congregation sang the Te Deum as sign of thanksgiving to God.

The title of Basilica

     The combined effort of the Benedictine Dom Mawru Inguanez and Dun Goffrey Lubrano was trying to have the church of Senglea elevated to the title of Basilica. The Archbishop promised to the people of Senglea that he was going to do his utmost to see to it that their aim is achieved. On the 27^th September 1920 a delegation from the Capitol of Senglea handed over a written petition to the Archbishop who in turn handed over to the authorities in Rome. The Archbishop added his recommendations about the Parish and Collegiate of Senglea. The approval for the elevation to Basilica was issued on the 3^rd January 1921.

The delegate for the coronation

     The coronation of the statue of Marija Bambina is different from the coronation of a picture as is held nowadays. The coronation was not simply a declaration by the Bishop but the degree was issued from the Vatican itself in the name of the Capitol of Senglea. The Vatican delegated the Archbishop Mawru Caruana to crown the statue of Marija Bambina with a golden crown on the 4^th September 1921.

     On coronation day the Archbishop was accompanied in procession from St Philip’s church in Senglea to the Basilica in the morning to say Mass. His homily filled the faithful with enthusiasm. They heard the Archbishop say that even though he hailed from Floriana he spent most of his childhood in Senglea and it was during his time here that he felt the vacation by God to join the Benedictines. From Senglea he went to Scotland where he started religious life as a Benedictine. It never occurred to him, in those days, that one day he would return to Malta and with the grace of God be the person delegated by the Pope himself to crown the statue of Marija Bambina.

The crown on the head of Our Lady

     On the 4^th September 1921 in the afternoon a procession was led by the Archbishop from the Basilica to the Senglea’s marina. The Archbishop, assisted by Bishop Giovanni Camilleri and Bishop Angelo Portelli put the crown on top of the head of the statue of Our Lady as a sign of love the Maltese and most of all the people of Senglea had towards Marija Bambina. The people of Senglea solemnly pledged that they will love Her as their queen. The Archbishop kissed the statue and made a speech as benefiting this solemn occasion.

     After some time an altar was specially made to be placed in front of the statue of Marija Bambina when it was exposed in the church. The Archbishop Mawru Caruana was not in favour that Mass be said there in face recourses made in 1935 and 1936 were both refused. Another plea was made in 1937 and this time, Mons Emanuel Galea, who also hailed from Senglea and who was the diocesan secretary, informed the Capitol of the Basilica of Senglea that the Archbishop had accepted their request. So from that day onwards Mass started to be said also on this altar.

At the end of his life

     Archbishop Caruana came to Senglea on many occasions. He used to come to administer the Sacrament of Confirmation and for some services during the feast period. In 1931 the parochial Eucharistic Congress came to an end with a procession on the 7^th June and which was led by the Archbishop. The blessing with the Sacrament was administered beneath a canopy built for the occasion in Victory Street. The popular mission of 1932 came to end on the 31^st January also with a speech by the Archbishop.

     In 1940, the Archbishop Mawru Caruana appointed for the last time before he died, an Archpriest for Senglea. He was Dun Manwel Brincat. There were also some problems between the Basilica of Senglea and the Archbishop Mawru Caruana. He was the official Vatican delegate to see that apostolic degrees were carried out. The Basilica of Senglea, when it was appointed to the statue of Basilica was given the same rights as that enjoyed by the Basilica Minors of Rome. The Archbishop did not carry out this part of the degree because he feared that he could have had problems with other local Collegiates.

     Nonetheless it is very obvious that Archbishop Mawru Caruana loved Senglea a lot and this was amply showed during his tenure of office. He not only worked to help the petitions by the Collegiate of Senglea and which were to lead to scenes of great joy and jubilations but he also appointed members of the clergy from Senglea to be parish priests in various locations in Malta. It is enough to mention Dun Manuel Galea, who was appointed as diocesan secretary. Dun Manuel was loved and respected by all. He later on was recommended by the Archbishop to Pope Pius XII to be appointed as auxiliary to the Archbishop. Dun Manuel Galea was appointed as Bishop in 1942, also on the recommendation of the Archbishop Mawru Caruana.

     Hence while it seems that the fifty anniversary of Archbishop Mawru Caruana’s death was hardly mentioned, it is appropriate that Senglea should do its part and remember this person who so much loved this city and did her proud.

NEXT