The main speeches delivered by Archbishop Mgr Joseph Mercieca during the year 2006 and in January 2007, up to the time he was still Archbishop, have been published in a new book in the series Minn Fomm ir-Raghaj (The Shepherd’s Voice).

In all, 18 books have been published presenting speeches by Mgr Mercieca as Archbishop of Malta. The first four books included selections from addresses delivered by Mgr Mercieca in the previous years. They were entitled Ilkoll Ahwa fi Kristu (1980), Eghziez Ulied (1985), L-Impenn Nisrani (1990) and Minn Fomm ir-Raghaj (1993).

From the year 1994 onwards, Mgr Mercieca’s main speeches were published in book form in full, in a series of volumes entitled Minn Fomm ir-Raghaj. In all, 14 such books have been published.

The new volume includes 27 interventions by Mgr Mercieca.

These include his message during the Thanksgiving Mass he celebrated at St John’s Co-Cathedral on 18 January 2007, on the occasion of the conclusion of his Archbishopric, and his homily on the occasion of the Episcopal Ordination of his successor, Archbishop Mgr Paul Cremona, OP on 26 January.

As in previous editions, the new book has an analytical index with a list of 133 subjects on which the Archbishop pronounced himself during the years 2006/07.

The index is intended to help the reader in the research on some themes dealt with in the Archbishop’s teachings.

The book includes 16 photographs. Six photos represent Mgr Mercieca’s Thanksgiving Mass of 18 January.

The other 10 represent different moments of the Episcopal Ordination of Archbishop Cremona.

The publication may be obtained directly by post from the PRO’s Office, Archbishop’s Curia, for Lm1.