Dom Maurus Caruana O.S.B. (1867-1943) : his formative period, his years in Scotland and his election to the see of Malta in 1915

Abstract

A complete and comprehensive biography on Mgr Maurus Caruana O.S.B., Archbishop-Bishop of Malta from 1915 to 1943 has never been published as a volume running into various chapters. Various anniversaries concerning this illustrious prelate have come and gone in the past decades, namely the centenary of his priestly ordination in 1991, the centenary of his episcopal consecration in 2015, the sesquicentennial of his birth in 2017 and the eightieth anniversary of his death in 2023. Over the years, a number of articles by different authors have featured in various non-academic fora. This article seeks to focus only upon the first forty-eight years of Caruana’s life, namely the period leading to the formal commencement of his long episcopate in Malta. The main focus of this work lies on Caruana’s formative years in Scotland, as well as on the events which took place between his nomination to the see of Malta in January 1915 and his solemn entry in the cathedral church at Mdina, three months later.