News • 5 January 2003

End of the line for Archbishop

By Kurt Sansone

Floriana – Archbishop Joseph Mercieca is a calm person despite approaching the end of his term as the head of the Church in Malta. Mons. Mercieca will be 75 in November this year and according to Cannon Law the Archbishop would have to tender his resignation.

When interviewed by TVM programme Reporter, which is researched and produced by MaltaToday and deemedia.tv, on Thursday Archbishop Mercieca said that he was calm and faced up to the challenge in a serene way.

The Vatican would then have to appoint a new archbishop. Although a couple of contenders’ names do surface in Church quarters Curia sources told MaltaToday that the decision rests with the Pope and it is not the first time that surprise candidates are selected for the post. The current Archbishop may also point out possible candidates.

However, Curia sources told this newspaper that given the politically-charged year ahead the Holy See may ask Archbishop Mercieca to stay on for a couple of months until the situation in the country returns back to normal.

2003 is the year of reckoning for Malta’s leaders. Archbishop Mercieca joins the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition in the list of leaders that may reach the end of the line later on this year. After the appointment of a new Police Commissioner in 2001 and a new Chief Justice last year, the country could very well have a clean sweep of its top people over a three-year period.

kurt@maltamag.com