New book on Archbishop Mercieca

A new book about Archbishop Emeritus Joseph Mercieca with the theme Ragħaj għal kull staġun (A shepherd for all seasons) and authored by Charles Buttigieg, was issued recently on the occasion of the first anniversary of Mgr. Mercieca’s demise. The launching of the book took place during a commemoration of the late Archbishop being held at the Archbishop’s Curia, Floriana on 21 March - precisely one year from the death of Mgr. Mercieca.

Archbishop Mercieca led the Archdiocese of Malta from 1976 to 2006. In September 2014, on the occasion of the celebration of the 40th anniversary of his episcopal ordination (1974), he published his Memoirs, also written by Charles Buttigieg. The new book complements Mgr. Mercieca’s Memoirs, mainly from the aspect of how the author remembers Archbishop Mercieca first as editor) of the daily newspaper Il-Ħajja which used to be subsidised by the Archdiocese (1972-1987, as the official responsible for the Archbishop’s Curia’s public relations (19872009), and as a person who remained close to Mgr. Mercieca until his death.

“I was practically still in the early stages of my writings when, on 21 March, 2016, Archbishop Mercieca went to meet the Risen Lord. Following his death, I felt that my initiative to further write about him had now transformed into a duty towards him personally, his memory and the always better understanding of the history of the Church in Malta dur- ing his time at the helm.

“My commitment in this project finds its inspiration in my full conviction that in Archbishop Mercieca’s experience one finds the core of the experience of the Church in Malta during the thirty years the Archdiocese was under his leadership, and that his accomplishments have enormous importance not only for the history of the Church in Malta but also, in a certain context, for the history of our homeland during the period concerned.

“I designed and compiled this book also in the hope that, taken and read together with Archbishop Mercieca’s Memoirs, it would contribute for the better and deeper understanding of the circumstances and reasons behind the choices made by Archbishop Mercieca and his way of doing things during the time of his spiritual leadership,” explains the author in the Introduction of the book which has a Preface by Archbishop Mgr. Charles J. Scicluna.

The book includes five sections, with the first three looking at Archbishop Mercieca as “A priest conformed to the heart of Jesus”, “A man of reconciliation rich in patience”, and “A proclaimer of the Gospel”. In these sections, the author focuses, among other aspects, on Archbishop Mercieca’s background, his love for the priesthood, his nearness to persons in difficulty, how he remained the person he always was, and how he used to move ahead in diffi- cult and trying circumstances. It also shows to what extent Mgr. Mercieca used to sacrifice himself to strive towards reconciliation, how his leadership remained above partisan politics, how he remained a pastor who loves and forgives, and his commitment in the area of social communication and the announcement of the Gospel.

The fourth section opens with an author’s overview regarding the last years of Mgr. Mercieca, up to the day he died. The rest of this section is dedicated to pronouncements or writings about Mgr. Mercieca – a number of them written exclusively for the new book – by five bishops and nine priests.

The fifth section includes three chapters in which the author shows how Archbishop Mercieca used to view himself, what other persons said about him when he was still alive, and what was said about him following his death. These last two chapters are a collection of quotations about Mgr. Mercieca published or broadcasted before and at his death.

The 680-page book, which include an Index, also has a further 64 pages of photos set in three sections. The theme of the book, Ragħaj għal kull staġun, reflects the way Archbishop Charles J. Scicluna described Mgr. Mercieca during the latter’s funeral Mass. As was the case in the Memoirs of Archbishop Mercieca, the new book is being published by Klabb Kotba Maltin. Its price is €49.