The President of Malta is the custodian of our Constitution, and therefore I think that she is now called upon to defend the article that deals with the vilification of religion and which the government is intending to remove.

It goes beyond the fact that the Catholic religion is the religion of Malta. It is an indisputable fact that the majority of the Maltese are Catholics. Admittedly, not all are practising, but deep down they still love it. It is not right that the beliefs and sentiments of this great majority are being pushed aside unnecessarily.

So it is only natural that we appeal to the President to do her utmost to defend this article, although, it has to be said, that it is also the responsibility of all ‘Catholic’ MPs on both sides of the House.

It does not make sense for the President and Catholic MPs to attend and be given prominence in Church ceremonies and feasts, and then are not to be seen doing anything about this grave issue.

It has to be remembered that the reverence due to God comes above all other considerations. No religion should be ridiculed or made fun of as all have the right to believe and not to suffer discrimination or ridicule for believing.