Ferdinando Mattei

{{Short description|Maltese prelate}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2018}}

{{citation style|date=February 2014}}

{{Infobox Christian leader

| type = Bishop

| honorific-prefix = His Excellency

| name = Ferdinando Mattei

| honorific-suffix =

| native_name =

| native_name_lang =

| title = Archbishop of Rhodes and Bishop of Malta

| image = Ferdinando Mattei.jpg

| image_size = 210px

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| church = Roman Catholic

| archdiocese =

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| diocese = Malta

| see =

| elected =

| appointed =

| term = 1807–1829

| term_start = 1807

| quashed =

| term_end = 14 July 1829

| predecessor = Vincenzo Labini

| opposed = Francesco Saverio Caruana

| successor = Francesco Saverio Caruana

| other_post =

| ordination =

| ordained_by =

| consecration = 1806

| consecrated_by = Publio Maria Sant

| cardinal =

| created_cardinal_by =

| rank = Bishop

| birth_name =

| birth_date = {{Birth date|df=yes|1761|07|24}}

| birth_place = Senglea Malta

| death_date = {{Death date and age|df=yes|1829|07|14|1761|07|24}}

| death_place =

| buried = St. Paul's Cathedral, Mdina

| nationality = Maltese

| religion =

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| previous_post = Titular Bishop of Paphus (1805-1807)

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Ferdinando Mattei (24 July 1761 – 14 July 1829) was a Maltese prelate who was appointed bishop of Malta in 1807 and Archbishop of Rhodes (before the year 1823).{{cite book | url = https://archive.org/details/compendiodellad00unkngoog/page/n1 | title = The Abridgement of the Christian Doctrine ("Compendio della Dottrina Cristiana") | language = it | year = 1823 | location = Malta | page = I | archive-url = https://archive.today/20181120182133/https://archive.org/stream/compendiodellad00unkngoog/compendiodellad00unkngoog_djvu.txt | archive-date = November 20, 2018 | url-status = live}}

Mattei was born in Senglea Malta on 24 July 1761. After being ordained priest, Mattei was appointed as one of the knights of St John's Conventual Chaplains because of the high regard they had for him. After the knights were expelled from the island by the French, Mattei worked with the Maltese and avoided any contact with the French. After the French left Malta the British looked with favor upon him.{{cite web|url=http://www.senglea.net/stta/stta.37.htm|title=SENGLEA THROUGH THE AGES – 69 & 70|work=21 February 2014|access-date=21 February 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140225222053/http://www.senglea.net/stta/stta.37.htm|archive-date=25 February 2014|url-status=dead}}

In 1803 Mattei was appointed as a Monsignor of the Cathedral and on 23 December 1805 Pope Pius VIII appointed him as titular Bishop of Paphos. This entitled the new bishop to help Bishop Labini in running the diocese. In 1818 he ordained bishop Publio Maria Sant the Titular Bishop of Laranda. On 18 September 1807, Bishop Mattei was himself appointed as the new bishop of Malta after the death of Bishop Labini.{{cite web|url=http://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/bishop/bmattf.html|title=Bishop Ferdinando Mattei|work=Catholic-Hierarchy.org|accessdate=21 February 2014}} He was opposed by Francesco Saverio Caruana who himself wanted to be bishop of Malta. Mattei died on 14 July 1829, at age 67, and Caruana would eventually succeed him.{{citation needed|date=November 2018}}