Catholic believers would not consider it a coincidence that their Bishop Emeritus went to meet the risen Lord during Holy Week. His life was an up-hill struggle.
Before referring to a few unknown anecdotes about his public life, I wish to share some of my personal recollections. My first meeting with the Archbishop was accidental when, as a student, I was at the University Library doing some research. Archbishop Mercieca was visiting our university and came to the library and stopped to talk to students there. Coming up to me, he asked my name. It so happens that we share the same surname and he asked me whether I was Gozitan. I am not, but my ancestors came from Gozo and settled in Tarxien in the first half of the nineteenth century. Mgr. Mercieca happens to be one of the pure Gozitan surnames to be found only in Gozo in the late Middle Ages. In Gozo, there were two main branches of Merciecas up till the early seventeenth century. The first branch was in Xewkija. The second one was in Għarb. My ancestors came from the latter locality. Most probably, the late bishop also originated from this clan, as the name Joseph was common within this family from at least as far back as the 1650s.
The next time I met him was when I won a scholarship to go and study in Italy. I was going to start my MA research on the Order of St. John's commanderies and wanted to research the Vatican Secret Archives and Library. In those days, the Vatican Secret Archives were not open to postgraduate students working for their Masters. The archives were only open to students doing their doctorates, University lecturers and professors. Mgr.Mercieca obtained permission for me to visit the Archives.
During my one-year stay in Rome, my surname was providential in finding lodgings at a centre that brought together international students. Lodgings in Rome in those days were beyond my reach and a personal friend of Mgr.Mercieca, Don RemigioMusaragno was running a centre that offered hospitality to African and Eastern European students, together with other Europeans who were studying in the capital.Musaragno had fond memories of Mgr. Mercieca and when, eventually, I met the late bishop and told him that Musaragno sent him his greetings, Mgr. Mercieca replied with his gentle smile that Musaragno remained faithful to his mission of helping students, in particular Africans, to succeed in their studies.
It was in Rome, that I got to know that one of Mgr. Mercieca’sbest friends during his studies at the Capranicawas CamilloRuini, who was the de facto bishop of Rome during the pontificate of John Paul II.
Probably, it was Cardinal Ruini who pushed Mgr. Mercieca to the bishopric of Malta. It is a known fact that Bishop Pace wanted Mgr. Mercieca as his successor in Gozo. This is why Pace had sent him to Capranica College in Rome to study. Due to opposition from the Gozitan clergy, this post was given to NikolCauchi. This explains why Mgr. Mercieca ended up archbishop of Malta.
The story goes that Pope Paul VI wanted to meet newly appointed bishops in a private audience to give them a personal token in the form of a pectoral cross. Since Mgr. Mercieca’s nomination came at the last minute, the Pope ended up giving him a cross, which was different from the one given to the other bishops. When Mgr. Mercieca went to Paul VI to receive it, the Pope told him, ‘yours is different from the rest because you will have to carry a heavier one’.
Pope Paul VI words were prophetical. Mgr. Mercieca had to face the political tantrums of Dom Mintoff. At first, Mintoff disliked Mgr. Mercieca because of his Gozitan characteristics. Whenever, political trouble was brewing, Mgr. Mercieca avoided direct confrontation. While Mintoff loved to confront his opponent, Mgr. Mercieca, instead, always sought to step aside or as we say, “iwarrablu”, to first allow the situation to calm down. Mgr. Mercieca's character, thus contrasted with that of his predecessor Mgr. Gonzi who, as a true son of Cottonera, preferred to confront his opponent head on.
The 1980s were not easy for Mgr. Mercieca in particular due to the Church Schools' issue. There should be no doubt that Mintoff wanted a war with the Catholic Church to detract attention from the internal problems that he was facing, in part due to the perverse electoral result of 1981. For this reason, Mintoff resorted to the old game of the sixties. In the 60s, it was Mintoff who provoked a battle with the Church and not vice versa. After the split and the 1958 debacle, Mintoff needed a fight as his political future was at that moment bleak. Mintoff tried to play the same hand in the 80s. A high PN official fell into the trap and started putting pressure on Mgr. Mercieca to resort to mortal sin against Mintoff and his government. Mgr. Mercieca refused outright.
Instead, Mgr. Mercieca preferred to talk with his adversary. He had no problems in meeting Mintoff, even in the thick of the night to try to solve issues. It was Mintoff himself who used to ask for meetings late at night and it was not rare to see Archbishop Mercieca accompanied by the Commissioner of Police to Castile for these meetings with Mintoff. The reason was that thugs roamed the area of Castile and the presence of the Police Commissioner was deemed necessary.
In one of these meetings, Mgr. Mercieca was offered a rickety chair to sit on. The result was that, in the heat of the discussion, the chair collapsed and Mgr. Mercieca landed on the floor. Yet, Mgr. Mercieca did not begrudge Mintoff his rude humour and behaviour. It is known that Mgr. Mercieca used to visit Mintoff in hospital during his last years. The visits were not always short and went beyond the normal courtesy visit that one expects between two national leaders. It is a fact that Mintoff, who could also be a gentleman, asked Mgr. Mercieca forgiveness for the unnecessary trouble that he had caused him at the start of his bishopric. I wish to state that I know these facts not from clerical sources but from individuals very close to Mintoff.
Yet, if there is need of proof of Mgr. Mercieca’s humble character, this is his refusal of any earthly honours. More than once, he was offered the cardinal hat by his friend Ruini. Each time, he refused it.
I am sure that with his demise, Mgr. Mercieca will be taking many stories of interest to our political history with him to the grave. But under his helm, the local Catholic Church started to charter new waters. It is now up to Charles J. Scicluna, to pilot the local Church into the post-modern 'globalised' world.