Muscat: Reference to Catholic Church should stay in the Constitution
Labour leader Joseph Muscat said this evening that a Labour government would make sure there was a clear separation between Church and state, based on respect and collaboration, but he did not personally believe that reference to the Roman Catholic religion should be removed from the Constitution.
Replying to questions during a televised press conference, Dr Muscat said the Roman Catholic religion should be retained in the Constitution since it was part of Malta’s cultural heritage and the faith of the majority of the people.
Dr Muscat said ways of the distinction between church and state was the way how Church schools would be given more curriculum autonomy from the state set-up, and the clear distinction between civil and ecclesiastical marriage.
“The crucial point here is to recognise the realities that there are small communities that may not feel they have a bond with the Catholic religion,” he said.
POPE'S RESIGNATION
Dr Muscat made reference to the news of the resignation of Pope Benedict. He said the Church seemed to be going through a regeneration process.
“These are exciting times for this institution that will, no doubt, have international repercussions,” he said.
Dr Muscat said the PL’s electoral programme was a roadmap that would lead to economic growth.
When it was pointed out that the Labour energy plan timeframes were not included in the party's electoral programme, Dr Muscat insisted that the timeframes were part and parcel of the EU proposal. This meant having the power plant up and running within two years and slashing utility bills for families by next year.
A Labour government, he said, would hold talks with the EU on the funds allocated to Malta for energy. The new government, he said, would be prepared to continue plans for a gas pipeline, something which was far from a done deal under this government, he said.
On the police investigations into the oil procurement scandal, he said he had confidence in the Police Commissioner and did not want to say anything that would cast doubts on the police.
As for allegations that the PL was getting too close to businessmen, he said he met the same people who had met with the Prime Minister.
The difference was that the PL was willing to listen to everyone and would support those with good ideas, irrespective of their political beliefs.
He said that, if elected to government, his party would work with the Opposition towards economic growth and would “share the platform” of Malta’s 2017 EU presidency.
ANGLU FARRUGIA
Asked to comment on Anglu Farrugia and the comments made against him (Dr Muscat) by Dr Farrugia's mother in December, Dr Farrugia said those were the comments of a mother who was hurt, but he looked forward to working with Dr Farrugia once more.
The PL movement, he said, was the home of everyone, in contrast to the PN, which had been unable to resolve its internal problems - to the country's detriment.
Asked whether there had been a rapprochement with Dr Farrugia, Dr Muscat said that it was only in the past few days that Dr Farrugia accepted to represent the PL in a Commonwealth parliamentary conference in the Falklands.
Dr Muscat said Dr Farrugia had been informed in advance of his announcement on Sunday, and he looked forward to working with Dr Farrugia in the coming years.
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43 Comments
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Michel Bencini
Feb 12th, 22:16
There is a lot of religion in the Maltese Constitution but very much less of it constitutes the daily life of the Maltese.
Francis Saliba M.D.
Feb 13th, 19:56
@ Michel Bencini
Your comment is a strong valid argument to retain the article in the Constitution that empowers the Church to continue to teach what is right and what is wrong and for the citizens of the republic to heed and to practice what they are taught. It is no reason in favour of tampering with the articles about religion.
elvin borg
Feb 12th, 18:55
Wirja tajba l bierah mi mexxej tal lejber ta...kollha harabhom l mistoqsijiet diretti li sarulu l bierah,din hi lhera gdida ta l mlp
Paul Debono
Feb 12th, 16:35
The best piece I head from Muscat in this press conference was that all the mud slinging the PL did in the last election campaign against Mugliette and JPO was just a smoke screen. Issa sejjhilhom Rapprezentanti denji tal-poplu. If Muscat is against courruption he should either investigate both JPO and Mugliette or else say that labour had invented it all.
Francis Saliba M.D.
Feb 12th, 13:52
@Ramon Casha
It seems that there is someone who wears blinkers and who would deny that there is a clear on-going attempt to try and amend the religion clauses in our Constitution. If he really needs confirmation all he has to do is to remove his blinkers and read the comments appearing in this blog - including those he submits himself!
Wally Vella-Zarb
Feb 12th, 16:19
Would you deny non-adherents to your faith the possibility of commenting on these pages? It is bad enough that contributions from some people seem to have 'carte blanche' while those from others are severely filtered to the extent that many do not appear on this site. Perhaps it depends on who is 'on duty' that day. Who knows?
Francis Saliba M.D.
Feb 12th, 20:08
@Wally Vella-Zarb.
I do not deny anybody the freedom to express opinions. I object when, after having repeatedly augured and prophesied that the religion clauses in the Constitution are about to be removed, on this newspaper, someone like Ramon Casha pretends that it had never been done, and when Casha himself is actually doing so now on this blog contradicting your allegation of "filtering".
Mr Duncan Scerri
Feb 12th, 13:12
To have any religion in the constitution is to alienate a group of people. It would be very telling were the census to record religious views. I suspect that the religious demographics would alter radically from the current perception.
Why have religion in a constitution? Look at nations that entrench religion in their constitutional fabric and you will find a repressive, intolerant society.
Francis Saliba M.D.
Feb 13th, 06:27
@ Duncan Scerri
To have any mention of "law" in the Constitution would also indubitably "alienate a group of people" who do not believe in the maintenance of law and order. That is no reason why "law" should not be mentioned in the Constitution.
Mr Duncan Scerri
Feb 13th, 13:20
@Francis
Law and superstition are completely different. And when one tries to base law on superstition, that's where ugly things happen. Remember that Christians had a habit of burning people alive because of their silly beliefs.
Ramon Casha
Feb 12th, 10:32
The constitution contains more than a simple reference to religion. It states that the church has the right to teach what is moral and what is immoral - which some understand to mean it can determine this for the state - as well as mandatory teaching of religion, and a clause that explicitly permits religious discrimination for teachers.
twanny borg
Feb 12th, 09:16
Taht il-pn biss ir-religlon ma tintmisx.
carmel vella
Feb 12th, 10:43
It is useless to frighten people. The fact is that Joseph Muscat keeps his promises and Gonzi no. So Muscat's statement is enough for me and it satisfies my aspirations!
Paul Meilak
Feb 12th, 12:06
@carmel vella.
what promises? that JM was absolutely against the EU ? That he also mentioned that EU is " salib tal-millenju " ? etc... WHAT PROMISES does JM keep ?????
m. borg (slm)
Feb 12th, 14:03
Halli ghal gonzipn/pn biex jinqddew bil-knisja.
Iz-zmien li l-knisja u ziju jservi ta' forcina issa spiccaw darba ghald dejjem bhal ma deher fil-kaz tad-DIVORZJU.
Il-knisja ghand l-missjoni taghha li ghandha tippromwovi bla ebda pressjoni, lanqas Kristu ma gieghel jew pressa lil xi hadd biex jimxi Warajh.
Anthony Scicluna
Feb 12th, 09:13
What is this new Labour promise of changes to the Constitution? The manifesto says very little. It does not even guarantee a referendum.
Mario Scicluna
Feb 12th, 09:47
Tippruvax tisvijja u thawwad bhas ssoltu.Dr. JM qal waqt konferenza tal-aħbarijiet li saret f’Ħal Lija li meta se jkun hemm bidliet maġġuri fil-Kostituzzjoni ma jeskludix il-fatt li jsir Referendum biex b’hekk is-soċjetà tkun involuta fid-deċiżjoni ta’ dawn il-bidliet. Tizrax dubji u biza bil-babaw,tattika li issa drajniha mil-PN u minn min m'ghandux vizjoni, u ilu maqtugh mill poplu
Wally Vella-Zarb
Feb 12th, 09:59
Changes to the Constitution do not require a referendum. The Constitution itself makes clear provisions as to how it may be amended. Clauses that are 'entrenched' require two thirds of a parliamentary vote while others, considered as less fundamental, only require a simple majority. For example, the colours of the National Flag are entrenched while the George Cross image that is on it is not.
Eve Axiaq
Feb 12th, 09:10
Catholic and Christian countries the tax evasion is rampant.
Atheist countries like Scandinavia dont even cross their minds to evade taxes.
But I still think that without God we are nothing.
Wilfred Camilleri
Feb 12th, 12:27
Tax evasion has absolutely nothing to do with Christianity or any other religion for that matter. Tax evasion happens in all countries including Scandinavian!
E Schembri
Feb 12th, 12:39
I don't think it has anything to do with faith or religion. Just look at places like Somalia, I am sure they are no Catholics.
The difference is the general education of society and strict effective law enforcement.
Unfortunately, here in Malta we concentrate on academic education but other things like honestly, responsibility and taking care of our environment are very low on our list.
Vincent Mercieca
Feb 12th, 08:18
We build this country on a 2000 year history of Catholic values and we should be proud to keep this enshrined in our constitution.
I only regret that the EU, who was also build on Christian values opted to remove the reference to the church because of mainly French secular pressure.
God is a gentleman and if we do not want him in our lives, he keeps out of it.
Then, what are we without God?
Joseph Portelli
Feb 12th, 09:09
naqbel mijek Vincent! Pero, taf x'naf! Li fi Franza, liberali kemm hi liberali, issa qed jiggieldu ad-drittijiet tal-gays u li tinbidel id-definizzjoni ta' zwieg! F'Malta Kattolicissima taghna, hekk kif inhatar leader Joseph Muscat, mill-ewwel beda l-ghajta favur id-divorzju u li d-definizzjoni ta' zwieg issir bejn tnejn li jinhabbu u mhux bilfors bejn ragel u mara! Il-vot taghna jfisser hafna
Mr Duncan Scerri
Feb 12th, 13:08
"Then, what are we without God?"
Evolving.
scott brown
Feb 12th, 08:06
Are we expected to say thank you JM? It is one thing having the Catholic faith in the Constituition but quite a different thing living and practicing the catholic values. So called liberal and progressive issues being pushed forward by JM and the new socialist movement are in direct conflict with catholic values. We practicing catholics may be considered conservative but we are not imbeciles.
Mr Duncan Scerri
Feb 12th, 13:07
"We practicing catholics may be considered conservative but we are not imbeciles."
I beg to differ.
Carmel Serracino-inglott
Feb 13th, 18:48
Some people hate catholics and christ. This makes many sad but so it was written that the church of Christ will be persecuted until the end of times for our church will remain upright because God is with her till the end of times.
Sandro Pace
Feb 12th, 07:35
Well done Dr. Muscat. At least you show that progressive does not mean denial of faith. A truly fearless leader in face of all the secularist pressures. My faith in your judgement increases, while I hope there will not be any U-turns that goes against the collective conscience of the nation, like the gay adoption issue. A WRONG thing in all senses. No one can lead a nation without the help of God
Luke Lanzon
Feb 12th, 08:18
The Nordic countries don't need god to lead them and I'm pretty sure they're better off as a country.
Francis Saliba M.D.
Feb 12th, 06:34
"Dr Muscat said the Roman Catholic religion should be retained in the Constitution since it was part of Malta’s cultural heritage and the faith of the majority of the people."
That must have put a very big damper on the atheists brash prediction re the imminent removal of the cherished religion clauses in our Constitution and the false claim that Catholicism is no longer the faith of Malta,
Paul Pulis
Feb 12th, 08:02
Contrary to believers, atheists do not have a mission to impose their convictions through a legalised preferential structure. Most atheists do not hold their views just 'for kicks', but came to their conclusions after much reflection. One's views are a personal matter which should remain personal except when engaging in a scholarly discourse, privately or through the media.
Luke Lanzon
Feb 12th, 08:20
Not really never expected anything else from him, he's just try to gain a liberal's vote while trying to reassure some of the die hard red conservatives at the same time. I've always said that he's fake.
Ramon Casha
Feb 12th, 10:29
Would you be so kind as to point where any atheists predicted or said that? Or did you just make that up as usual?
Francis Saliba M.D.
Feb 12th, 12:07
@RamonCasha
That was a recurrent theme in many anti-Catholics comments in The Times blogs. You may choose to put on blinkers as much as you like but please don't expect me to waste my time to dig them up for you.
Mr Duncan Scerri
Feb 12th, 13:05
Francis, you need to understand that atheists are not "anti-Catholic". There's nothing personal about Catholicism, most of us think all religious people are pillocks.
Am Camilleri
Feb 12th, 15:53
@ Duncan Scerri - no need to be rude. It gives atheists a bad name.
Francis Saliba M.D.
Feb 12th, 20:20
@ P Pulis
Atheists from Australia, the UK, the USA etc have actually made it a mission to proselytize in favour of atheism and against Malta's Catholicism to the point of nausea. The names of Xuereb, Flynn, Chetcuti etc should jog your memory. Rest assured that their views on our faith were not at all "scholarly discourses", and they were not personal convictions held in private.
Francis Saliba M.D.
Feb 13th, 09:30
@ Duncan Scerri
I do not see the need to understand any of your rude comments.
Most of you atheists are not only blatantly anti-Catholic and anti-religious but they are also linguistically challenged so severely that they are totally incapable to dialogue in a civil manner. Instead they stoop to insults that only serve to highlight their total absence of any debating skills.
John Cassar
Feb 11th, 23:32
As long as the reference is amended in a manner that ensures the State is secular great. But these are cosmetics and may not go far enough.
The constitution and reference to the Roman Catholic religion should be amended in a manner that will make it impossible to legislate laws such as the infamous Marriage Act of 1995.
A Spiteri
Feb 11th, 23:14
So what exactly does the 2nd republic stands for?
Mario Scicluna
Feb 12th, 09:52
Billi Gvern Gdid jlaqqa’ Konvenzjoni Kostituzzjonali li tkun magħmula mhux biss mill-politiċi, imma wkoll minn esponenti tal-gvernijiet lokali, tas-soċjetà ċivili u kull min hu interessat, biex flimkien jiddiskutu bidliet li tant hemm bżonn fil-Kostituzzjoni tagħna.
Claudio Sultana
Feb 11th, 23:13
Well I agree about the separation of the church and the state. The reference to the Roman Catholic should also be removed.
P Borg
Feb 11th, 22:57
Exciting times for the Church, yes, however it will never approve of something that is diametrically opposed to what Christ said ...
Please choose the reason of your report below: