FERDINANDO MATTEI
Jacobo Antonio Ferdinando Mattei was the son of Carlo and Filippa Scarfoni, a rich family and built on sound Christian values and was born in Isla. Carlo was the son of Aliseo Mattei who married Maria Abela-Bogdanovich and grandson of Francesco and Evanglista Cornelio.
After receiving 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 28 December 1805 Pope Pius VII appointed Mattei as titular Bishop of Paphos, in Cyprus and Auxiliary bishop to Bishop Labini with the aim of supporting the aged Bishop Labini in carrying his duties. In May 1806 Mattei went to Palermo where he was consecreated bishop by the cardinal archbishop of that city.
The death of Bishop Labini, who passed away on 30 April 1807, and who was the last foreign bishop of our Island brought anxiety among the people. Up to the end of the 18th century, the Sicilian Sovereign invariably chose the bishop of Malta. On gaining possession of Malta, the British Government claimed this right. The Holy See pointed out that this right of presentation was not based on the principle of sovereignty, but the Sicilian monarch had been granted this prerogative because he has originally endowed the Maltese bishopric with landed property in Malta and Sicily.
The Maltese also preferred having one of their own as bishop and indeed, Alexander Ball, the Civil Commissioner, did his utmost to have a Maltese appointed as bishop of Malta.
On 27 September 1807 Pope Pius VII appointed Matteias Bishop of Malta and Titular Archbishop of Rhodes. This meant that Mattei was the first Maltese bishop in 174 years.
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. Bishop Mattei has gone down in history as a man endowed with prudence and ingenuity in solving the problems of his diocese.
Through his efforts the former Conventual Church of St John was raised to the status of Co-Cathedral, 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 20 June 1820, he erected the collegiate of St Lawrence in Vittoriosa and on 5 June 1822, the collegiate of the Immaculate Conception in Cospicua was founded.
Due to his poor health, Bishop Mattei was constrained to retire to his residence in Lija. The Government Gazette of 15 July, 1829 wrote: ‘It is with great regret we have to announce the death of this excellent prelate who held the Bishopric of Malta for 21 years. He had nearly attained his 68th years, when he was called to a better world’. Mattei enjoyed the deep respect of the Maltese.
This biography is part of the collection created by Michael Schiavone
