Philip Tartaglia

Bishop Tartaglia's Episcopal Coat of Arms

Styles of Philip Tartaglia
Reference style	The Right Reverend
Spoken style	My Lord
Religious style	Bishop
Posthumous style	not applicable

The Right Reverend Philip Tartaglia (b. 11 January 1951, Glasgow) is the fourth Roman Catholic Bishop of Paisley, Scotland. He has been described as a conservative in religious and moral issues.

Early life

Philip Tartaglia was born in Glasgow, the eldest son of Guido and Annita Tartaglia and has three brothers and five sisters. After his primary schooling at St Thomas’, Riddrie, he began his secondary education at St. Mungo's Academy, Glasgow, before moving to the national junior seminary at St. Vincent’s College, Langbank and, later, St Mary’s College, Blairs, Aberdeen. His ecclesiastical studies were completed at the Pontifical Scots College, and the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome.

Priesthood

Fr Philip Tartaglia was ordained priest by Archbishop Thomas Winning in the Church of Our Lady of Good Counsel, Dennistoun on 30 June 1975. He then returned to Rome where he completed his ordinary course of studies in 1976 before beginning research for his doctorate in Sacred Theology. In 1978 he was additionally appointed as dean of studies at the Scots College in Rome, and was also acting vice-rector at that time.

After obtaining S.T.D. degree in 1980, on the Council of Trent’s teaching on the Eucharist, he was appointed assistant priest at Our Lady of Lourdes, Cardonald, while at the same time becoming an extramural lecturer at St. Peter’s College, Newlands, Glasgow.

A year later, he was appointed lecturer at St. Peter’s College, becoming director of studies in 1983. When Chesters College, Bearsden, opened in 1985 he was made vice rector. In 1987 he was appointed rector.

He served as rector until 1993 when he was sent to St. Patrick’s, Dumbarton, as assistant priest before being appointed parish priest of St Mary’s, Duntocher in 1995. In 2004, the Bishops’ Conference of Scotland asked him to return to seminary as rector of the Pontifical Scots College, Rome.

Episcopate

On 13 September 2005, it was announced that Fr Philip Tartaglia had been nominated by Pope Benedict XVI as Bishop of Paisley. On 20 November 2005, the Solemnity of Christ the King, he was ordained as Bishop of Paisley in St Mirin's Cathedral by Archbishop Mario Conti. The co-consecrating bishops were Archbishop Raymond Leo Burke of St Louis, Missouri, USA and Bishop John Mone, Emeritus Bishop of Paisley.

In 2006 he attracted controversy for attacking UK law relating to the family. He outlined how the Family Law act (which makes divorce quicker and easier), Civil Partnership legislation (giving homosexual relationships legal status) and the Gender Recognition Act (allowing people to change their gender designation) undermine the family in society: "Unfortunately, in our times, the minds of many have been so darkened by hubris and by the selfish pursuit of their own gratification that they have lost sight of the natural law which God has written into his creation...". He reiterated this in 2010 when he wrote to David Cameron to insist that "the Catholic Church will not register civil partnerships nor celebrate same-sex unions: not now, not in the future, not ever, no matter what legislation or regulations your government enacts or endorses.". He has also criticised the UK government's decision to upgrade its nuclear weapons capability.

In 2008, as president of the National Communications Commission of the Bishops’ Conference of Scotland he wrote to every parish in Scotland decrying the media for pushing a “secular and humanistic agenda”. Arguing his belief that “over two thirds” of Scots are actually Christians, and that the proportion of people who work the media does not reflect this, leading to a “fundamental disconnection between the provider and the consumer”.

In 2008 Bishop Tartaglia was mooted by some commentators as a possible successor to the see of Westminster, albeit with an outside chance. In the event the new appointee was Archbishop Vincent Nichols.

Coat of arms

Bishop Tartaglia's arms are an allusion to the miracle of the loaves and fishes as recounted in the Gospel of Saint John. The two apostles Philip and Andrew are singled out by name in this account. The two fish which are crossed in saltire in reference to the cross of St Andrew are surrounded by five barley loaves. One fish has a gold ring in its mouth. This refers to the legend of St Mungo and is featured in Glasgow’s civic and ecclesiastical heraldry since the sixteenth century. This addition alludes to the fact that Philip Tartaglia is a Glaswegian by birth, that he is a former pupil of St Mungo's Academy and is an ordained priest of the Archdiocese of Glasgow.

Conforming to heraldic rules the colours that feature in the arms – green, white and red – correspond to the Italian Tricolour, in reference to the bishop’s family origins and to the years spent in Rome at the Pontifical Scots College, first as a student and post-graduate, from 1969–1980, and ultimately as rector from May 2004 until November 2005 when he was ordained bishop.

Bishop Tartaglia's motto, taken from the Latin hymn 'O Salutaris Hostia' by St Thomas Aquinas, is Da Robur, Fer Auxilium ('Give strength, bring aid').

References

Catholic Church titles
Preceded by John Aloysius Mone	Bishop of Paisley 2005–Present	Incumbent