Monsignor Pacifico Tiziano Micheloni was born in
Vernio on 8 March 1881 to Petronio Paoletti and Rosa Paoletti. He entered the
novitiate on 11 April 1896, and he completed his novitiate in
Montepulciano and continued his studies in
Arezzo. and was
ordained a priest on 15 August 1901. He was then sent to England to learn the English language. From 1907 he worked in
Agra and from 1920 in
Aden, there he was Secretary of the Bishop and
Capuchin Superior. In 1928 he was appointed
Apostolic Administrator of Arabia and one of the first problems that faced him was the
Somalian Mission, After having studied the numerous documents concerning the
mission in that vast territory and having thoroughly investigated the advisability of opening a
mission among the numerous
Tribes, Father Micheloni understood that the time had come to move into more territory. who did not like the presence of
Catholic missionaries, in 1930, Father Micheloni first managed to obtain a
residence permit in
Berbera in their area.
Episcopal Ministry in Arabia On 25 April 1933,
Pius XI appointed him
Apostolic Vicar of Arabia and
Titular Bishop of
Lete. He received
episcopal ordination on 8 September from the
Bishop of Pistoia and
Prato,
Giuseppe Debernardi and co-consecrating were the
Bishop of Pescia,
Angelo Simonetti and
Bishop of Imola,
Paolino Giovanni Tribbioli. The following year Msgr. Micheloni returned to the
Vicariate, where he was able to maintain diplomatic relations with
The British Empire to expand the
missionary presence in
Somalia, which, at that time, consisted of only one religious, Father
Adolfo da Lasalla. The difficulties were numerous. An initial disapproval from the
British Authorities, all be expressed unofficially, was followed by a severe stiffening of the permissions granted, motivated by "alleged" street demonstrations by the Missionaries. Msgr. Micheloni hence rushed to
Berbera, where he discovered that there had been only a small demonstration. Msgr, Micheloni later stated that – "the governor, moved by fears for himself and the
religious, regretted the concessions and had himself staged the demonstration to justify the sudden change. The reality, however, was substantially different" Msgr. Micheloni traveled all over Somalia again, with the company of a young
Christian, and often had numerous requests to remain in the Villages without ever being marked as inconsiderate. He paid particular attention to the numerous
Orphanages in
Aden. "They are fine – he wrote in 1932 – but they will not be able to thrive until they can be transported to
Somalia. All the orphans are
Somalis and are uncomfortable in the climate of
Aden". On the other hand, the schools generally welcome older children and, almost always, with their families on the spot, had more impact on the future of the
mission. At the time, there were seventeen
Government Schools, including five of the mission in
Aden. The latter, however, had a higher number of pupils than the others. There was no lack of problems, primarily due to the presence of
Catholic and
Muslim students, in the same classes with considerable risks for education to the
Catholic faith. == Death ==