Church Roman Catholic Nationality Maltese Predecessor Publio Maria Sant Diocese Malta Name Gaetano Forno Ordination September 22, 1832 | In office 1858-1874 Died July 22, 1874 Consecration October 4, 1857 Rank Archbishop Successor Carmelo Scicluna Appointed December 4, 1857 | |
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Other posts Titular Archbishop of Rhodus Born June 5, 1808
Victoria, Gozo Malta ( 1808-06-05 ) | ||
Gaetano Pace Forno (5 June 1809 – 22 July 1874) was an Maltese Archbishop who became the Bishop of Malta after the death of his predecessor Archbishop Publio Maria dei Conti Sant.
Biography
Pace Forno was born in Victoria, Gozo on June 5, 1809 to a lawyer Francesco Pace and the Noble Lucia dei Baroni Forno. He was baptized on the same day at St George's basilica. On 20 July 1824 he was professed as a member of the Order of Saint Augustine. He was ordained priest in Naples in 1832. He spent a great number of years as an educator in Italy until May 30, 1847, when he was chosen Provincial of the Maltese Augustinian Province. He is also considered as the founder of the college for boys at the Valletta convent which opened on 23 September 1848. On December 11, 1854, he was chosen Provincial for a second term.
On 25 September 1857 Pace Forno was appointed as the Coadjutor Bishop of Malta to assist Archbishop Sant. He was ordained bishop on October 4 by Costantino Patrizi Naro the Cardinal Bishop of Albano. Just two months later he succeeded as the Bishop of Malta with the titular title of Archbishop of Rhodes. Archbishop Gaetano Pace Forno is mostly remembered in Ħamrun as the founder of the name of the parish in the same village. The chosen patron saint of Ħamrun was Saint Cajetan, Archbishop Pace Forno's own patron saint. In 1864 the Maltese diocese was divided into two when the Diocese of Gozo was erected by Pope Pius IX. Thus Gozo became as suffragan to Malta. He died on July 22, 1874 having served as Bishop of Malta for 16 years.