The Malta Government Gazette ( Maltese : Gazzetta tal-Gvern ta' Malta , Italian : Gazzetta del Governo di Malta ) is a government gazette published by the Department of Information of the Government of Malta . It was first published in 1813 when the islands were a British colony and it continued to be published after Malta became independent in 1964. Since then, the newspaper has been published in Maltese and English ; previous editions were in Italian or a combination of some or all of the three languages. Since 2015 the gazette has been published in a digital-only format, and only a limited number of copies are printed for archival purposes.
15-667: The Journal de Malte , a newspaper which was published during the French occupation of Malta in 1798, is regarded as the predecessor of the Malta Government Gazette . After British rule was established in Malta in 1800, a number of newspapers were published by the government under different titles: Foglio d'Avvisi (1803–1804), L'Argo (1804), Il Cartaginese (1804–1805) and the Giornale di Malta (1812–1813). The first edition of
30-545: A pastoral , is an open letter addressed by a bishop to the clergy or laity of a diocese or to both, containing general admonition, instruction or consolation, or directions for behaviour in particular circumstances. In most episcopal church bodies, clerics are often required to read out pastoral letters of superior bishops to their congregations. In the Catholic Church , such letters are also sent out regularly at particular ecclesiastical seasons, particularly at
45-616: A pastoral letter by bishop Vincenzo Labini . The print run of the Journal was set at 500 copies in August 1798, and efforts were made to distribute the paper in both the urban area around the Grand Harbour (consisting of the capital Valletta , Floriana and the Three Cities ) as well as the rural towns and villages. Subscriptions to the newspaper were payable to Matteo Rizzo, the librarian of
60-546: A rebellion against French occupation broke out among the Maltese population. The Journal de Malte was bilingual, and each page was divided into two columns with French text on the left and Italian on the right. The paper was headed by the motto Liberté, Égalité , and its full title was Journal de Malte. Feuille Nationale, Politique, Morale, Commerciale et Litteraire. (French for "Journal of Malta. National, Political, Moral, Commercial and Literary Folio."). The newspaper
75-460: Is believed to have been published on 14 July 1798, and it was the first newspaper ever published in the Maltese Islands. A prospectus for another newspaper entitled Malta Libera also exists, but no copies of this publication are known and it has been speculated that Malta Libera might have been the original planned name for the Journal de Malte , but the name was changed before the first issue
90-409: Is unclear if the other three are lost or if they were ever actually published at all. On 27 June 1798, shortly after the French invasion and occupation of Malta, Claude-Henri Belgrand de Vaubois approved a request which theoretically allowed freedom of the press in the islands. Despite this, the government retained full control over any publications. The first issue of the Journal de Malte
105-521: The Bibliotheca Publica . It is believed that 10 issues of the Journal were published between July and September 1798, with the dates of issue according to a 19th century source being as follows: One source from 1916 stated that there were actually 12 issues, but this claim seems to be unsubstantiated. Seven issues of the newspaper are preserved at the National Library of Malta , with
120-520: The Gazzetta del Governo di Malta was published on 27 October 1813. The first edition entitled Malta Government Gazette in English was published on 7 August 1816. Before freedom of the press was established in 1839, the gazette was the only newspaper published in the islands. From 1930, the gazette began to be published in three languages: English, Maltese and Italian . Since Malta's independence in 1964,
135-667: The Journal de Malte had a significant impact since it was the first newspaper ever published in Malta. The Maltese word ġurnal (meaning "newspaper") is believed to be derived from the name of this publication. It is also regarded as the predecessor of the Malta Government Gazette , which was first published by the British colonial authorities in 1813 and continues to be published by the Government of Malta today. Pastoral letter A pastoral letter , often simply called
150-460: The National Library of Malta . The Department of Information holds an archive of gazettes published since 1813. Journal de Malte The Journal de Malte was Malta 's first newspaper, and it was published between July and September 1798 during the French occupation of Malta . Written in French and Italian , a total of ten issues of the newspaper are believed to have been published, although only seven seem to still survive today and it
165-492: The beginning of fasts . In the non- episcopal Protestant churches a pastoral letter is any open letter addressed by a pastor to his congregation, more especially to one customarily issued at certain seasons, for example, by the moderator of a Presbyterian assembly or the chairman of a Congregational or Baptist union. The Armenian term for pastoral letter is kondak , also translated as encyclical, statement, or decree. This Christianity -related article
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#1732851725923180-479: The gazette has been published in Maltese and English, with its Maltese title being Gazzetta tal-Gvern ta' Malta . Printed editions of the gazette were discontinued in favour of digital versions in 2015, and the latter are available on the website of the Department of Information. Since then, only 25 physical copies of each edition of the gazette have been printed, and they are kept at the Department of Information and at
195-519: The three that are missing being issues 2, 5 and 9. Two pages from the copy of issue 10 preserved at the library are also missing. The seven surviving issues have consecutive page numbers, so it is possible that issues 2, 5 and 9 were never actually published. Four issues of the Journal (issues 1, 3, 4 and 10) are also preserved at the Bibliothèque nationale de France in Paris. Despite being short-lived,
210-461: Was a form of propaganda , and it was aimed at boosting the morale of the French garrison as well as indoctrinating the small portion of the Maltese population which was literate. The first page of the Journal contained news, and this was followed by instructions and texts by Vaubois and Saint-Jeun d'Angély. It included speeches and editorials which supported the French occupation, and one issue included
225-499: Was published. On 28 July, Jean de Bosredon de Ransijat wrote to Napoleon that the aim of the journal was "to fulfil the dual purpose of praising with dignity [Napoleon's] further and glorious enterprises, and to enlighten the Maltese about the advantages of their union with France." The newspaper's editor was Michel-Louis-Étienne Regnaud de Saint-Jean d'Angély . The newspaper was short-lived and publication stopped in September after
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