Archbishop Charles Scicluna says he will “not shut up”. This makes it seem as if he is in pursuit of self-acclaim, declaring he will involve himself in areas of a political nature.

Pope Francis is a breath of fresh air, intending to bring the Roman Catholic Church into the 21st century. I wish him every success as he is up against many conservative elements of the Church.

On his tour of Africa, the Pope made the point that there is no reason for large families as these increase poverty and climate change. Without spelling it out, family planning can and should be considered. Advances of science in the interests of mankind need to be made use of.

Embryo freezing is a technique giving help to couples who perhaps have had medical problems preventing conception. It can give these couples a baby and a family life which Archbishop Scicluna wishes to deny them. This is against humanity which the Church is understood to preach.

The government is contemplating this on behalf of the people who wish Malta to be brought into line with the rest of Europe. Why deny couples the opportunity to have their own family?

Archbishop Scicluna asks for criticism, which will become more intense if he involves himself in politics. By doing so he would be taking the Church back to the 1960s, when Archbishop Michael Gonzi was involved with Dom Mintoff and the Church wanted to dominate the State. The Archbishop’s main concern should be to stem the tide of those leaving the Church because attendances indicate that, within 10 years, there will be closures of churches and redundancy of priests. It is evident he should put his energies into making services more interesting because today they are routine and do not instil any enthusiasm.