Date set for Bishop-elect Charles Azzopardi’s ordination

Bishop-elect Mgr Charles Azzopardi is inviting all of Gibraltar to attend his ordination on Sunday, December 7, adding that the outpour of well-wishes since the announcement of his appointment has been “incredible”.

Less than two weeks after his appointment Mgr Azzopardi unveiled a coat of arms, his plans to involve the local community and youth in the church, and that he will be meeting the Pope in Rome this Sunday.

Mgr Azzopardi said the public response has been “really touching” and he wants to ensure that the public can attend his ordination.

The venue for the ordination is dependent on how many people register interest in attending online via www.catholic.gi/ordination.

For those who not tech savvy parish volunteers will be at Sunday mass across local churches on Sunday, October 5.

Mgr Azzopardi said the venue could be the Cathedral of St Mary the Crowned if 300 people sign up and if there are 500 interested St Theresa’s could be the venue.

If more register, he said, “we will have to move somewhere else”.

“We just need to know the numbers,” Mgr Azzopardi said.

He will hold his ordination the day before the feast of the immaculate conception.

“One of the reasons is that the way that I have been so well received reminds me about how St. Ambrose was received in Milan,” Mgr Azzopardi said.

St. Ambrose was ordained on December 7, 374 after an outpouring of support from the community.

The day after the ordination, December 8, Mgr Azzopardi would like to invite all school children in Gibraltar to come to mass together under one roof.

On December 9, he is inviting all the school children who participate in the Christmas carols concert held at St Theresa’s to attend.

The event has been held annually for the past 20 years but this year instead of splitting the event he hopes to hold it on the same day in two sittings.

He said that this appointment has at times felt like a dream and he is unsure how much it will change his life.

His plan is to continue being himself and his work with the youth.

“For the last 33 years as a priest my life has really been a lot for the service of the youth,” he said.

He added that “the youth is not the church of tomorrow, but the church of today”.

“I've always felt uncomfortable when people say, they're the church of tomorrow,” he said.

“No, they're the church of today. Because whatever happens today, if they're not here, what's going to happen?”

Mgr Azzopardi will meet Pope Leo XIV this Sunday in Rome where he will thank him on behalf of Gibraltar “for having appointed a bishop so quickly”.

“I look forward to meeting the Holy Father and asking him to continue to pray for Gibraltar, and assure him of our prayers to him,” he said.

He also unveiled his coat of arms which includes an emblem of his family and of Our Lady of Europe.

“Since very young in my life, I've been in association with the Shrine, whether as an altar boy or as priest and for me it's very important,” he said.

“It's a way of putting the whole of Gibraltar under the care of our patroness, Our Lady of Europe.”

Included in the coat of arms is ‘Ipsum Audite’ which Mgr Azzopardi said means “listen to him” from the transfiguration of Jesus.

Registration for the ordination of Mgr Azzopardi is available online: www.catholic.gi/ordination

More details on the ordination will be released at a further date.