Gozo Bishop Mario Grech said yesterday that the Christian community cannot remain absent or marginalised from the public debate where one can form one's thoughts and project.

Speaking during the homily on the occasion of the feast of St George in Victoria Mgr Grech said that Christians can contribute with certain arguments on human life, the safeguarding and promotion of the family based on a monogamous and indissoluble marriage.

Christians can also contribute to the debate on the defence of minors, an economy that befits mankind and the liberalisation from certain new forms of slavery such as drugs.

Faith and politics can work together because faith assists human reason to attain its aim without risks. That human reason that is deaf to the divine and which considers religion as a sub-culture will not be able to engage in a proper dialogue.

The Catholic religion cannot be neutralised and eliminated from the political debate. Like other schools of philosophy, it has the right to take part in such public argumentation.