Time was when priests took a very active part in Maltese politics. Until the early 1930s priests contested elections as party candidates; some were elected and a few even held prominent positions in government.

Mgr Ignazio Panzavecchia (Unione Politica Maltese), Mgr Michael Gonzi (Labour Party) and Mgr Enrico D'Andria (Nationalist Party) come easily to mind. But that was before the war. With the restoration of self-government in 1947 the active participation of priests in local politics was discontinued.

And although the majority of priests and religious are perceived to have Nationalist leanings with the rest being naturally pro-Labour, it can safely be said that generally speaking priests have rather scrupulously desisted from taking an active part in local politics.

This is a good thing in a country the size of Malta where people are obsessed with party politics as no other people are, an obsession which creates so much unnecessary division among men and women who speak the same language and profess the same faith, at times even belonging to the same family. True, it is superficial but division it is no less. And division can never be healthy or positive. Hence, the more priests keep out of local partisan politics the better for all concerned.

This should not mean that priests should not have a political opinion or a preference for one party or its policies. Priests are definetely no less citizens than the rest: they pay taxes, play a vital role, often not only spiritual, in the life of the community and hence are entitled to the same rights as any Tom, Dick and Harry; including the right to speak their minds and express opinions on any subject, including controversial ones.

However if they do decide to come out into the open on topics which are purely political and by so doing they would be entering the political arena they would be less than wise if what they say or write is judged to be manifestly partisan or biased. The least one expects from a priest is that he be objective and fair, especially when he decides to make assessments of facts which, unlike opinions, are sacred.