In Malta, the disputes of past years between stalwarts of the Catholic religion and progressive left wing frontliners have declined. The major controversies took place during the 1960’s and related to liberty of speech, to freedom of belief and to civil marriage, among others. Although at the time, it seemed as if the “Catholic” front had mostly won, in reality a process had started by which the control and influence that the front exercised  on Maltese society was being spectacularly dismantled.

Since then, it has lost many battles fought to keep the island within the rigid frameworks of the past. Its leaders learnt to temper the all-out fury with which they used to go on the attack, convinced they were bound to win. In campaign after campaign, secular ideas were endorsed and proclaimed by a popular majority – like civil marriage, the legal acceptance of homosexuality, divorce, IVF for couples wishing to have children...

This does not mean that if and when they find the opportunity, elements of the Catholic Church will not seek to shoot at the Labour Party. One only needs to examine well what is currently being said and written in the media currently sponsored by the Catholic Church to understand how this is done. 

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MALTESE BELIEFS

The mythology about ourselves to which we subscribe portrays us as a people prone to pity and to sympathise; to show a real belief in family values; to be friends for and with all.

Yet, I always was suprised right from when I was very young and up to now, when I read what foreigners would write or say about the Maltese, for they seemed to have gotten a different perspective. Which was correct? The mythology about ourselves that we believe in? Or the views of foreign observers who concluded we are indifferent to the problems of others, greedy and presumptuous, lovers of the melodramas and rituals of religion, not the moral truths that it is meant to proclaim?

The 10 February, St Paul’s feast day, is traditionally considered as a leading item in the Maltese agenda of festas. Personally I hardly used to give it much attention, which was a mistake as I failed to recognize how significant it could be for others.

I realized this in February 1997, when as a government we wished to urgently pass a law that would greatly amend how the shiprepair yard, Malta Drydocks, still in those days quite an important concern, was being run. I wanted the relevant bill to be presented  as soon as possible to Parliament. So this was summoned to meet on a Saturday morning for an extraordinary session to vote.

Immediately notice was given of the meeting, a new controvcersy erupted. That Saturday happeend to be the feast of St Paul. Most of the PN leadership would as usual be attending the solemn mass celebrated at the church of St Paul’s in Valletta. Apparently that was a tradition of theirs.

I was accused of having planned to assemble Parliament on that day simply to annoy them some more. Nothing happened to be farther from my mind at that time!