On Friday evening Mgr Anton Teuma was installed as the 9th Bishop of Gozo, with the Episcopal Consecration having taken place at the Rotunda of St. John the Baptist, Xewkija.

The main Consecrating Bishop was Mons. Mario Grech, now Bishop Emeritus of Gozo, who was accompanied by the Apostolic Nuncio Alessandro D’Errico and the Archbishop of Malta Charles J. Scicluna. Auxiliary Bishop Joseph Galea Curmi and the Bishop of Gibraltar Carmelo Zammit also took part.

The celebration with the Rite of Consecration lasted over two hours, and was broadcast live on TVM2 and NET TV, as well as on the diocesan social media and several community radios, so that many Christians who due to restrictions of Covid-19 could not physically attend, could follow through the media.Those present also included a large representation of the Gozitan clergy and the fifteen Gozitan parish communities. Also in attendance were President Dr George Vella and his wife Miriam, Prime Minister Dr Robert Abela, and the Minister for Gozo Clint Camilleri.

Fr Anton’s elderly mother, his three brothers, family, relatives and friends, were also present for this celebration, as well as many animating couples who help at the Pope John Paul II Family Institute, where he was Director in recent years and Bishop’s Delegate for Pastoral Care with Families.

The Apostolic Mandate, which is signed by Pope Francis, was read out at the end of the ceremony, as confirmation of Mgr Teuma as the new Gozo Bishop for the Diocese.During the Celebration Bishop Grech said, “Dear Fr Anton, my Bishop, we have just heard the word of our Father Pope Francis being read that in the name of Jesus this beloved Church in our Gozo is entrusting to you. You know that the Church is often likened to the “boat.” I’m not an expert in the craft of sailing, but I hear them say that it is a very difficult time for those who have their hands on the helm of a ship is when it comes to changing course, particularly when the waves come to face it!”

He went on to say, “this is your mission, my friend. The Lord Jesus tried to give a new route to the chosen people. It was not easy. They made it difficult and saw how we unravelled it. Pope Francis is trying to give a good direction to this “Peter’s boat.” There are several reasons why the Church needs to take a new route. Suffice it to say that we have gone through what was called Christianity for a post-Christian society.”

“Another boat sails in port and another in the open sea as society does today,” said Bishop Grech. “We have gone through a society where the majority was Catholic, but today the number of Christians is ever eroding.”

“This applies to our Gozo. In these circumstances, in order to steer the boat whose rudder is being entrusted to you today, you need the help of the Holy Spirit to know which direction the boat should take “today.”

Bishop Grech urged presbyters, religious, consecrated laity and lay people to cooperate with Bishop Teuma “so that with God’s help we may be a Church that responds to our times and spreads the Christian hope not only to Christians but to the whole nation.”

Bishop Teuma, at the conclusion of the Holy Mass, blessed everyone present.Bishop Teuma has taken over the post from Bishop Mario Grech, who was appointed by Pope Francis as General Pro-Secretary of the Synod of Bishops in October last year.Bishop Grech assumes the responsibilities of General Secretary once Cardinal Lorenzo Baldisseri, the actual General Secretary, concludes his mandate.

A Thanksgiving concelebration will be held on Thursday, the 27th of August, at 6.30pm, at the Rotunda of St. John the Baptist, Xewkija.

Bishop Mons. Anton Teuma will lead his first Mass at the Cathedral of the Assumption, Victoria, on Wednesday, the 16th of September, at 6.30pm – This day also marks the 156th anniversary of the founding of the Diocese of Gozo.

The Reverend Anton Teuma was born in Xaghra, in Gozo, on 11th of January 1964. After his secondary school studies at the diocesan minor seminary, he carried out his studies in philosophy and theology at the major seminary of Gozo.

He was subsequently sent to Rome, where he was awarded a doctorate in science of education from the Pontifical Salesian University.

He was ordained a priest on 25th of June 1988 for the diocese of Gozo. In agreement with the bishop, he remained in Rome until 1997, exercising the following ministries: parish vicar in the parish of Sant’Ignazio di Antiochia (1988-1995); spiritual father at the Pontifical Roman Seminary (1995-1997); head and spiritual assistant of the Eucharistic Communities of the diocese of Rome (1996-1997).

Upon returning to his diocese, he served as rector of the major seminary of Gozo from 1997 to 2007. After a sabbatical year of study and prayer in the Holy Land, from 1998 to 2016 he was head and spiritual assistant of the Eucharistic Communities of the diocese of Gozo.

Up until recently he was the episcopal delegate for the family and head of the John Paul II Family Institute in Gozo. Since 1997 he had served as member of the college of consulters and of the diocesan presbyteral and pastoral councils.

Photos by Anthony Grech

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