Editorial

Over the weekend, church congregations heard the Archbishop of Malta or the Bishop of Gozo read their reflections about the coming general election, something that takes place before every election. This time round the pastoral letter was eagerly awaited as it is the first election pastoral letter of Archbishop Paul Cremona and Bishop Mario Grech. Church-goers were not disappointed.

The pastoral letter is innovative in the sense that it does not just advise Catholics about what to consider or reflect upon before voting. In fact, the message addresses the cooperation political parties should offer during the post-election period. It also has a special word to those involved in politics due to their Christian commitment.

Another innovation is the reflection upon the role of those who will be in opposition.

The bishops exhort Catholics to consider both the issues and the personalities involved in the political process before making a decision.

The bishops give importance to issues. They proposed that, besides projects, voters should consider "values as well as principles". After referring to the electoral programmes published by the political parties, the bishops add that "we want to encourage the Maltese people so that, in their choice, they might be able to coordinate the traditional values of our society, many of which have their origins in our Christian heritage, with the exigencies of modern society". Two examples are given: "The dignity of every person, whatever the nationality, from conception till death; the practical protection of the values of marriage and the family". Given the particular context of this election, the somewhat oblique reference to the issue of refugees and illegal migrants (because of the reference "whatever nationality") could have been directly mentioned.

The synthesis which the bishops are requesting is not an easy one. It will become more difficult with the increase in the intensity of the debate on divorce, same-sex marriage and several bioethical issues. Personalities become important because they make the synthesis and put into practice political programmes. The bishops refer to the importance of having committed Christians actively involved in politics as they could provide an important dimension in the making of such a synthesis that would respect the country's Christian heritage. Candidates chosen should, therefore, be those who "will faithfully and honestly put into effect the mandate given to them by the people". The bishops understand "mandate" with reference to both a place in government and a place in opposition.

The electoral campaign runs only for a few weeks but the post-election period is much longer. The bishops innovatively requested that the political parties should promise "to collaborate together as servants of one nation, especially in social matters, such as the drug problem; young people and their future; usury; the protection of stability in marriage and the family; the environment; and the historical heritage". The proposal is laudable; the concrete issues and the manner of cooperation is something politicians should work out.

The bishops say that the values they mention "are not something which is simply very generic but must be clearly proclaimed in the political context". It was not expected of them in the pastoral letter to be specific about how this could come about. However, it would not have been amiss for other Church structures at a lower level than the bishops to be more specific than they were during the election campaign. There were five Church bodies that produced for the consideration of the parties and the electorate two documents which together add to no more than a few pages! This sharply contrasts with the detailed documents that several organisations and institutions presented for the consideration of the political parties.

The Church presence during the campaign could have been more salutary had more of its bodies shown the innovative spirit the bishops demonstrated in their pastoral letter.