Miguel Juan Balaguer

Miguel Juan Balaguer de Camarasa also known as Miguel Balaguer or Michele Balaguer (1597 – 5 December 1663) was a Spanish Roman Catholic prelate who served as Bishop of Malta from 1635 to 1663.[1]

His Excellency

Miguel Juan Balaguer de Camarasa

O.S.Io.Hieros.
Bishop of Malta
ChurchRoman Catholic
DioceseMalta
Appointed12 February 1635
In office1635-1663
PredecessorBaldassare Cagliares
SuccessorLucas Buenos
Orders
Consecration18 February 1635
by Francesco Maria Brancaccio
RankBishop
Personal details
Born1597
Camarasa, Spain
Died5 December 1663 (age 66)
Malta
NationalitySpanish

Biography

Miguel Juan Balaguer Camarasa was born in Camarasa, in Spain. Upon the death of Bishop Baldassare Cagliares, Grandmaster Antoine de Paule and the council recommended that Balaguer be appointed bishop of Malta. Pope Urban VIII accepted Balaguer's nomination and formally appointed him to the see of Malta on February 12, 1635. He was ordained bishop on February 18, 1635 and installed as Bishop of Malta on March 25, 1635.

During his episcopacy Balaguer donated a wooden crucifix by Innocenzo da Petralia Soprano (1592-1648), a Franciscan friar from Sicily which today is found in the Chapel of the Holy Crucifix in St. Paul's Cathedral, Mdina.[2] Also Bishop Balaguer consecrated the oldest bell in Malta dating from Medieval times. The bell, christened Petronilla was, reconsecrated on August 7, 1645 and installed in its place in the cathedral's belfry.[3]

His episcopacy is characterised with accusations and conflict with lay persons, the Inquisitors and the knights. There were numerous occasions where Bishop Balaguer was about to resign though at the same time he was needed to reform the much slacking diocese. He had a rather long episcopacy of 28 years. He died as a result of a stroke on December 5, 1663 at the age of 66.

References
  1. "The Metropolitan Cathedral", Reach Malta. Retrieved on 22 July 2015.
  2. "Bishop Miguel Juan Balaguer Camarasa", Catholic Hierarchy. Retrieved on 22 July 2015.
  3. "Island's oldest bell restored", Times of Malta, Malta, 22 October 2007. Retrieved on 22 July 2015.
  • Bonnici, Alexander. I vescovi di Malta Baldassare Cagliares (1615-1633) e Michele Balaguer (1635-1663). Melita Historica, 5(2), 114–157. Malta Historical Society, 1969. L-Università ta'Malta, .
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