The Archbishop’s Curia today said it was disappointed by the “persistent and unjust attacks based on false accusations” being made by the GWU-owned newspaper l-Orizzont.

The newspaper ran a story yesterday and today claiming that an employee of the Missionary Office has been working over 40 hours a week for a number of years on a part-time basis.

Without any attempt to hide its bias, the newspaper said the Archbishop, who frequently tweets against the government, has remained silent on this issue.

The Curia said today that the reports contained totally false allegations about an employee of the Missionary Office. The office, it explained, does not fall under the Curia but is part of an autonomous international organization that falls directly under the pope. The office will be taking legal action against the GWU paper.

The Curia said the GWU newspaper was persisting with attacks against the Archbishop and the Church ever since Monsignor Scicluna had spoken about 600 workers who are part of a GWU jobless scheme and who are being paid less than normal workers.

“All the Archbishop had asked for was for the profits made off these workers to be given to the same workers. Contrary to what the GWU does, workers engaged with the Dar tal-Providenza through this scheme receive the  same salary as others workers who carry out the same work. It is difficult to understand why the Archbishop is being attacked by a union simply for defending the rights of workers.”