Church schools have to respect religious freedom, Archbishop Charles Scicluna has said, thus confirming that he is open to the idea of non-catholic students receiving education in their own religion.

He was delivering a speech during a ceremony on the anniversary of Archbishop Joseph Mercieca's death.

The Archbishop said that Church schools cannot deny religious freedom, while stressing that they must be "an open door for humanity."

He stressed that the Church is not afraid of inclusivity.

The Archbishop said that Maltese have a duty to keep Mgr Mercieca in their memory. "He always felt the need to remain close to the people," Scicluna said, adding that Mgr Mercieca managed to do that.