Prime Minister Joseph Muscat will be asking the Vatican to start talks aimed at revising the 1992 Church-State agreement.
Speaking after a private meeting with Archbishop Paul Cremona and Auxiliary Bishop Charles Scicluna, the Prime Minister said that, as part of a court reform, the civil marriage law would no longer be subordinate to the Ecclesiastical Tribunal.
“I will be writing formally to the Holy See to ask for meetings to discuss this, so that the civil courts will be supreme with regard to marriage laws,” Dr Muscat said, adding that an effort would be made to reach an agreement that would be satisfactory to both the Church and the Government, providing for a clear “separation” between State and Church.
Mgr Cremona said that the Church had shown it was available for such talks.
“Together we will see what is best for the Maltese population even with regards to civil marriage,” he said.
During the private meeting, they also discussed civil liberties, particularly civil unions. “It is obvious that the Church will not agree with this and I understand the position of the Roman Catholic Church but the Government has a very clear mandate to legislate civil unions in this country and that is what we will be doing,” said Dr Muscat.
Mgr Cremona said it was the duty of the Church to promote the Faith: “We are a voice for society and even if what the Church says does not go through, we would have contributed by providing food for thought.”
Dr Muscat pointed out that the Roman Catholic religion would remain the country’s official religion and expressed his hope that the Church would play “an active role” in the “revamp” of the Constitution.
He assured Church leaders that the Government would continue giving its support, particularly the financing of Church schools, and would work hand in hand with them with regard to homes for the elderly and orphanages.
“I myself will be the interlocutor with the Curia on issues that come up and then they will be followed by other members of Cabinet,” he said.
The meeting lasted about 45 minutes and Dr Muscat said that this first formal conversation showed that the Government and the Church were on the same wavelength.
He said that, in the coming days, details on the reform of the courts of justice and of a “constitutional convention”, which will “give birth to the second Republic”, will be announced.