Francesco Saverio Caruana
Francesco Saverio Caruana was a Maltese prelate who was Bishop of Malta from 1831 to his death in 1847. He was also a rebel leader during the Maltese uprising of 1798–1800.
Caruana was born in Żebbuġ on 7 July 1759. At the age of 24 he was ordained priest by Archbishop Vincenzo Labini and in 1796 he became canon of the Mdina Cathedral chapter. During the French occupation of Malta Canon Caruana was made a member of the Commission de gouvernement but resigned some time later when he saw that he could not prevent the French from establishing unjust laws and when they started stealing precious artifices from the Maltese churches. Canon Caruana played a prominent role in the Maltese uprising against the French and in bringing the British to Malta. During the revolt, he was the commander of the battalions of Żebbuġ and Siġġiewi. Tas-Samra camp and battery fell under his overall command.
In 1822 Caruana was nominated as the cathedral archdeacon and in 1829 he was appointed diocesan administrator upon the death of Bishop Ferdinando Mattei. Two years later, Pope Gregory XVI appointed him as the successor of Mattei and he was consecrated on 15 May 1831 by Publio Maria Sant, who would eventually become his successor in 1847. Bishop Caruana died in 1847, at the age of 88, after 16 years as bishop.
