The Bishops of Malta and Gozo in a statement on Saturday gave a Christian perspective on the European Parliament election to be held coming Saturday.  

The short statement reminded people of their duty/right to vote and listed six principles that should guide votes interested in the real progress for society and its members.

These are:

  • the right to life from conception until natural death;
  • the strengthening of the natural family based on marriage between man and woman;
  • the right for work and a decent pay;
  • the principle of solidarity and subsidiarity in society;
  • the humane treatment for migrants and assistance to help them integrate;
  • and respect for the environment.

This is the second statement released by the Church in Malta in preparation for these elections. Just over a week ago six curial and/or inter-diocesan commissions had released a statement on the same subject. It can be accessed from the website of the Archdiocese (http://thechurchinmalta.org/mt/posts/38449/riflessjoni-dwar-l_elezzjonijiet-gall_parlament-ewropew).

That was a very good statement, very well argued and of reasonable length. The fact that six ecclesial Commissions managed to come up with a joint statement on this subject is already a welcome first. Given the high status of the signatory Commissions and their collective clout one could really and truly say that this was a statement by the Church in Malta.

The bishops’ statement, as was to be expected, was much shorter. One can say that the six principles they presented are akin to the sub-headings present in the statement of the previous statement by the curial commissions.

Since we already had the position of the Church through the first statement did we really need the second statement? If the answer is in the affirmative, would it not have been better for the bishops to link their statement with the other statement?

One difference is that the bishops referred to the family as based on the marriage between a man and a woman. This is a welcome addition.

The bishops, like their commissions, spoke about the Christian attitude towards irregular migration. Their words came at exactly the right moment.

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