23 academics have written to the Apostolic Nuncio, Alessandro D'Errico, saying that it is unwise to "involve the Holy Father in a propaganda exercise in an attempt to postpone an inevitable outcome."

The academics were referring to news that embattled Prime Minister Joseph Muscat is scheduled to meet the Pope on 7 December.

The letter reads:

"Your Excellency,

To our dismay we have just learned that the Prime Minister, Dr Joseph Muscat, is scheduled to meet the Holy Father on the 7th December, and this at a time when, following the revelation of criminal activity at the highest levels of power in our land, the calls for his resignation are flowing in from many diverse quarters, not least from European Union institutions and the Council of Europe.

We are academics dedicated to excellence in teaching and research in our diverse fields and we have at heart the democratic process in our country and the rule of law to ensure justice for all. In our view it is totally unwise, and pastorally undesirable, to involve the Holy Father in a propaganda exercise in an attempt to postpone an inevitable outcome, given the serious and grave nature of the accusations and allegations which are plaguing the present Administration of our country in full view of local and world media."

The letter was signed by Prof Albert Borg - Department of Maltese, Faculty of Arts;  Prof Juanito Camilleri - Rector Emeritus, Chairman, Centre for Entrepreneurship and Business Incubation;  Prof Marie Alexander - Institute of Linguistics and Language Technology; Prof Joe Pace Asciak - Department of Italian, Faculty of Arts; Prof Stanley Fiorini - Senior Research Fellow; Prof Kevin Cassar - Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine and Surgery; Prof Ivan Callus - Department of English, Faculty of Arts; Prof Kenneth Wain - Department of Education Studies, Faculty of Education; Dr Colin Calleja - Dean, Faculty of Education; Dr Vickie Gauci - Department of Disability Studies, Faculty of Social Wellbeing; Prof Mary Ann Lauri -  Department of Psychology, Faculty of Social Wellbeing; Dr Nadia Delicata - Department of Moral Theology, Faculty of Theology; Dr Maria Cassar - Department of Nursing, Faculty of Health Sciences; Dr Pat Bonello - Department of Social Policy and Social Work, Faculty of Social Wellbeing; Dr Anne-Marie Callus - Department of Disability Studies, Faculty of Social Wellbeing; Dr Maureen Cole - Department of Social Policy and Social Work, Faculty of Social Wellbeing; Dr M Vella - Department of Social Policy and Social Work, Faculty of Social Wellbeing; Prof Josef Lauri - Department of Mathematics, Faculty of Science; Dr Albert Gatt - Director Institute of Linguistics and Language Technology;  Dr Andrea Demarco - Institute of Space Sciences and Astronomy; Prof Arnold Cassola - Department of Maltese, Faculty of Arts; Prof Vicki-Ann Cremona - Department of Theatre Studies, School of Performing Arts