Catholic politicians who approve the idea that the practice of abortion should be allowed by law must be sanctioned by the Catholic church, if I understand correctly. This though is apparently not being applied in the case of such Catholics as US President Joe Biden who has made it clear he is against the prohibition of abortion.
It is not known whether any distinction is being made regarding when the yes to abortion comes from personal conviction of the Catholic individual concerned, or when it derives from the requirement that politicially, the stand he/she takes must reflect what the role he/she is in representation of, requires. Which seems to be the case say, of the current President of the European Parliament Roberta Metsola.
Distinguishing between a moral and a political responsibility will always remain a problem. It resembles that other problem which was resolved – if truly it was resolved – by the dictum: Render unto God what is God’s, and to Caesar what is Caesar’s.The dilemmas related to abortion are a bit more complex than that one though.
They will not be clarified by condemnations or excommunications.
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INFLATION RISKS
The Malta government is on the right track in trying to damp down inflation fever by applying subsidies. As of now, it has succeeded in its aims while remaining within the limits of its obligations under euro management rules. Growth of the Maltese economy still is among the most encouraging in Europe.
The snag lies in the government’s financial deficit, which is among the highest in Europe. Not so much the national debt, which has increased greatly in magnitude but as a percentage of the GDP, remains among the lowest in Europe. The latter is the metric which really counts.
As the International Monetary Fund has warned, the risk is of a prolonged inflation that will make the strategy by which price rises are being smothered too costly. Moreover, people could get too used to consider that there is such good, ongoing protection against inflation, that there is no need for them to restrain consumption according to circumstances.
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PENALTIES
Football is a team game. In the nature of things, it should get won or lost through team work.
Which is why I fail to undersand why games are being decided the way they are, when they need to be won or lost at one go. If two teams are still neck and neck, following 90 minutes of play plus another half hour, now they go to a penalty shoot out, which is a challenge that involves only two people.
Previously it used to be done on the basis of a replay. But this disrupts the work schedule of all concerned.
Instead, the alternative should be of an extra time that goes on and on, till one team manages to score. This would conserve the character of a game that is based on team work. But I’ve been told, that would affect negatively the programme scheduling of TV stations!
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Best wishes for a Merry Xmas to all Malta Independent readers, editors, journalists and staff, and their families.