Mikiel Gonzi, Maltese archbishop (d. 1984)
Sir Michael Count Gonzi, (born Mikiel Gonzi: 13 May 1885 – 22 January 1984), was Roman Catholic Archbishop of Malta from 1944 until 1976. He had been enthroned as Bishop of Malta in December 1943, and was consecrated as the first Archbishop of Malta in 1944. He had also been Bishop of Gozo and an elected Labour Senator in the Malta Legislative Assembly.
Gonzi is known for his intervention in politics, having also interdicted the Labour Party and demanding people not to vote for them. Despite this, 43.7% of the population, in 1966, voted for the Dominic Mintoff-led Labour Party and this was interpreted as a decline in the Church's influence and declining religious, social and political power. His support for public harassment, mainly politicians, led to an outline of 'Six Points' of church and state separation, where eventually the church was confined to spiritual matters.Gonzi was a staunch opponent of LGBT rights, on his belief that it was a grave sin, "unnatural" and practiced by the "sick". Similarly, he was against equal rights between men and women, and demanded punishment for adulterers. During his church leadership, several local and foreign (mainly Irish) priests had abused, in different ways, children, which came to public knowledge only in the early 21st century. He was in support of the 're-introduction' of the Italian language, instead of promoting Maltese, but his waited opportunism was never realised. He was a social smoker, who generally smoked cigars.