The First Apostolic Vicar of Central Africa, Auxiliary for the Diocese of Malta and Bishop of the Titular See of Mauricastro, Monsignor Annetto Casolani was born in Valletta, Malta, the fifth son of Sir Vincent Casolani, a high ranking government official. He studied theology at the University of Malta and continued his studies at the Seminario Romano, Rome, obtaining his doctorate in divinity at a very early age.
Appointed canon of the Cathedral Chapter of Mdina while still a seminarian, he was promoted to the dignity of cantor in 1837. Two years later he entered the Collegio Urbano pursuing further studies in theology and Oriental languages.
Persuading the Vatican to set up the Vicariate of Central Africa, at the early age of 30, Casolani was appointed its First Apostolic Vicar, receiving his episcopal consecration with the Titular See of Mauricastro by Cardinal Giacomo Filippo Fransoni, assisted by Archbishop Giovanni Brunelli and Bishop Jean-Félix-Onésime Luquet MEP., at the College of Propaganda Fide in Rome on May 24, 1846.
Early the next year Casolani led a mission to Central Africa, accompanied by Jesuits Maximilian Ryllo, Ignatz Knoblecher and W. Reintheler. They reached as far as the Nile Valley and tracked to Khartoum, Sudan, in 1848. He gathered all the information he could about the Upper Nile with a vision of a great new missionary venture, using the Nile as a highway to carry missionary work far into Central Africa.
When in November 1847, Bishop Francesco Saverio Caruana of the Diocese of Malta died, he was succeeded by his Auxiliary, Monsignor Publio Maria dei Conti Sant, while Msgr. Casolani was nominated Auxiliary of the Diocese on April 3, 1848.
On his return to Malta, he took active part in politics. Following the grant of Malta's first constitution, he was returned to the partially elective Council of Government in August 1849.
Casolani, who had a considerable private fortune, evolved a scheme for the erection of bonding stores with extensive quays and wharfs, docks, shipbuilding yards and other harbour facilities. He extended his projects at Corradino point before proceeding to England to acquire the necessary machinery in 1859. The Admiralty later claimed to site for defense purposes and Casolani had to give in to the Admiralty following an offer of £50,000 for the stores which became property of the Imperial Government and which were converted into dockyard facilities.
In 1850, Casolani took a leading part in the debate on the criminal code and his insistence on the inclusion of the description of Roman Catholicism as the dominant religion of Malta caused the code to the refused by the royal sanction. He defended Constitutional rights and the full enjoyment of civil liberties with great ability and eloquence. He was returned with an increase majority at the 1854 elections, but the return of five ecclesiastics out of eight elected members, caused London to amend the constitution, whereby priests and HM judges were debarred from contesting elections.
Holding a deep passion for antiques and liturgical functions, Casolani commissioned the statue of Pope St. Gregory the Great found beside the Old Church of St. Catherine in Żejtun, carved in Maltese stone by Salvu Dimech.
Bishop Casolani passed away after a brief illness on August 1, 1866, aged 51, and was buried at the Mdina Cathedral.
Appointed canon of the Cathedral Chapter of Mdina while still a seminarian, he was promoted to the dignity of cantor in 1837. Two years later he entered the Collegio Urbano pursuing further studies in theology and Oriental languages.
Persuading the Vatican to set up the Vicariate of Central Africa, at the early age of 30, Casolani was appointed its First Apostolic Vicar, receiving his episcopal consecration with the Titular See of Mauricastro by Cardinal Giacomo Filippo Fransoni, assisted by Archbishop Giovanni Brunelli and Bishop Jean-Félix-Onésime Luquet MEP., at the College of Propaganda Fide in Rome on May 24, 1846.
Early the next year Casolani led a mission to Central Africa, accompanied by Jesuits Maximilian Ryllo, Ignatz Knoblecher and W. Reintheler. They reached as far as the Nile Valley and tracked to Khartoum, Sudan, in 1848. He gathered all the information he could about the Upper Nile with a vision of a great new missionary venture, using the Nile as a highway to carry missionary work far into Central Africa.
When in November 1847, Bishop Francesco Saverio Caruana of the Diocese of Malta died, he was succeeded by his Auxiliary, Monsignor Publio Maria dei Conti Sant, while Msgr. Casolani was nominated Auxiliary of the Diocese on April 3, 1848.
On his return to Malta, he took active part in politics. Following the grant of Malta's first constitution, he was returned to the partially elective Council of Government in August 1849.
Casolani, who had a considerable private fortune, evolved a scheme for the erection of bonding stores with extensive quays and wharfs, docks, shipbuilding yards and other harbour facilities. He extended his projects at Corradino point before proceeding to England to acquire the necessary machinery in 1859. The Admiralty later claimed to site for defense purposes and Casolani had to give in to the Admiralty following an offer of £50,000 for the stores which became property of the Imperial Government and which were converted into dockyard facilities.
In 1850, Casolani took a leading part in the debate on the criminal code and his insistence on the inclusion of the description of Roman Catholicism as the dominant religion of Malta caused the code to the refused by the royal sanction. He defended Constitutional rights and the full enjoyment of civil liberties with great ability and eloquence. He was returned with an increase majority at the 1854 elections, but the return of five ecclesiastics out of eight elected members, caused London to amend the constitution, whereby priests and HM judges were debarred from contesting elections.
Holding a deep passion for antiques and liturgical functions, Casolani commissioned the statue of Pope St. Gregory the Great found beside the Old Church of St. Catherine in Żejtun, carved in Maltese stone by Salvu Dimech.
Bishop Casolani passed away after a brief illness on August 1, 1866, aged 51, and was buried at the Mdina Cathedral.
The First Apostolic Vicar of Central Africa, Auxiliary for the Diocese of Malta and Bishop of the Titular See of Mauricastro, Monsignor Annetto Casolani was born in Valletta, Malta, the fifth son of Sir Vincent Casolani, a high ranking government official. He studied theology at the University of Malta and continued his studies at the Seminario Romano, Rome, obtaining his doctorate in divinity at a very early age.
Appointed canon of the Cathedral Chapter of Mdina while still a seminarian, he was promoted to the dignity of cantor in 1837. Two years later he entered the Collegio Urbano pursuing further studies in theology and Oriental languages.
Persuading the Vatican to set up the Vicariate of Central Africa, at the early age of 30, Casolani was appointed its First Apostolic Vicar, receiving his episcopal consecration with the Titular See of Mauricastro by Cardinal Giacomo Filippo Fransoni, assisted by Archbishop Giovanni Brunelli and Bishop Jean-Félix-Onésime Luquet MEP., at the College of Propaganda Fide in Rome on May 24, 1846.
Early the next year Casolani led a mission to Central Africa, accompanied by Jesuits Maximilian Ryllo, Ignatz Knoblecher and W. Reintheler. They reached as far as the Nile Valley and tracked to Khartoum, Sudan, in 1848. He gathered all the information he could about the Upper Nile with a vision of a great new missionary venture, using the Nile as a highway to carry missionary work far into Central Africa.
When in November 1847, Bishop Francesco Saverio Caruana of the Diocese of Malta died, he was succeeded by his Auxiliary, Monsignor Publio Maria dei Conti Sant, while Msgr. Casolani was nominated Auxiliary of the Diocese on April 3, 1848.
On his return to Malta, he took active part in politics. Following the grant of Malta's first constitution, he was returned to the partially elective Council of Government in August 1849.
Casolani, who had a considerable private fortune, evolved a scheme for the erection of bonding stores with extensive quays and wharfs, docks, shipbuilding yards and other harbour facilities. He extended his projects at Corradino point before proceeding to England to acquire the necessary machinery in 1859. The Admiralty later claimed to site for defense purposes and Casolani had to give in to the Admiralty following an offer of £50,000 for the stores which became property of the Imperial Government and which were converted into dockyard facilities.
In 1850, Casolani took a leading part in the debate on the criminal code and his insistence on the inclusion of the description of Roman Catholicism as the dominant religion of Malta caused the code to the refused by the royal sanction. He defended Constitutional rights and the full enjoyment of civil liberties with great ability and eloquence. He was returned with an increase majority at the 1854 elections, but the return of five ecclesiastics out of eight elected members, caused London to amend the constitution, whereby priests and HM judges were debarred from contesting elections.
Holding a deep passion for antiques and liturgical functions, Casolani commissioned the statue of Pope St. Gregory the Great found beside the Old Church of St. Catherine in Żejtun, carved in Maltese stone by Salvu Dimech.
Bishop Casolani passed away after a brief illness on August 1, 1866, aged 51, and was buried at the Mdina Cathedral.
Appointed canon of the Cathedral Chapter of Mdina while still a seminarian, he was promoted to the dignity of cantor in 1837. Two years later he entered the Collegio Urbano pursuing further studies in theology and Oriental languages.
Persuading the Vatican to set up the Vicariate of Central Africa, at the early age of 30, Casolani was appointed its First Apostolic Vicar, receiving his episcopal consecration with the Titular See of Mauricastro by Cardinal Giacomo Filippo Fransoni, assisted by Archbishop Giovanni Brunelli and Bishop Jean-Félix-Onésime Luquet MEP., at the College of Propaganda Fide in Rome on May 24, 1846.
Early the next year Casolani led a mission to Central Africa, accompanied by Jesuits Maximilian Ryllo, Ignatz Knoblecher and W. Reintheler. They reached as far as the Nile Valley and tracked to Khartoum, Sudan, in 1848. He gathered all the information he could about the Upper Nile with a vision of a great new missionary venture, using the Nile as a highway to carry missionary work far into Central Africa.
When in November 1847, Bishop Francesco Saverio Caruana of the Diocese of Malta died, he was succeeded by his Auxiliary, Monsignor Publio Maria dei Conti Sant, while Msgr. Casolani was nominated Auxiliary of the Diocese on April 3, 1848.
On his return to Malta, he took active part in politics. Following the grant of Malta's first constitution, he was returned to the partially elective Council of Government in August 1849.
Casolani, who had a considerable private fortune, evolved a scheme for the erection of bonding stores with extensive quays and wharfs, docks, shipbuilding yards and other harbour facilities. He extended his projects at Corradino point before proceeding to England to acquire the necessary machinery in 1859. The Admiralty later claimed to site for defense purposes and Casolani had to give in to the Admiralty following an offer of £50,000 for the stores which became property of the Imperial Government and which were converted into dockyard facilities.
In 1850, Casolani took a leading part in the debate on the criminal code and his insistence on the inclusion of the description of Roman Catholicism as the dominant religion of Malta caused the code to the refused by the royal sanction. He defended Constitutional rights and the full enjoyment of civil liberties with great ability and eloquence. He was returned with an increase majority at the 1854 elections, but the return of five ecclesiastics out of eight elected members, caused London to amend the constitution, whereby priests and HM judges were debarred from contesting elections.
Holding a deep passion for antiques and liturgical functions, Casolani commissioned the statue of Pope St. Gregory the Great found beside the Old Church of St. Catherine in Żejtun, carved in Maltese stone by Salvu Dimech.
Bishop Casolani passed away after a brief illness on August 1, 1866, aged 51, and was buried at the Mdina Cathedral.
Advertisement
Advertisement
