I’m not generally moved to praise ecclesiastical gentlemen fulsomely or, even, much at all, but finally I’m minded to stand and applaud a bit.

His Grace the Bishop of Gozo has drawn himself up to his not inconsiderable height and made it as clear as someone trained by the Curia can make himself clear: racism and failure to combat racism is just not on.

It should hardly have needed saying, though this was, I fear, not the reason it hasn’t been said all that much. It is well past high time that the authorities of Church and State made it clear that filthy racism cannot be part of the national makeup, once and for all. If this alienates people, turning them away from the Church or the Party then so be it: people like this are not the sort of people from whom you want support.

So more power to the Bishop of Gozo, who treaded perhaps less fearfully where more senior angles may have been reluctant to put their well-shod hind legs.

It would be nice if the PM, the Leader of the Opposition, the Archbishop and the President, and I list these gentleman (a title I give without the slightest hint of irony or sarcasm, let me hasten to add) were to follow Mgr. Grech’s lead at this point and add their weight to his statement.

I’m not, of course, implying that any of the gents mentioned is in any way shape or form racist. Far from it and quite the opposite: but not being racist is not enough when you occupy a position of such high responsibility. I’m sure in various fora, from time to time, each of them has made it clear that racism is not an option for this country, but with all due respect (again, I mean this without any tongue in cheek) it’s time for a joint statement on the matter.

If you need any proof of this, refer to the ludicrous comments and public statements that greeted Mgr Grech’s statement. Not one to be left behind in giving the impression that xenophobia and insularity are concepts close to his heart, Dr Josie Muscat was quick to come in criticism of the Bishop’s teaching.

I find this exceedingly strange: for all his radicalism and political posturing, Josie Muscat is a physician with altruism to the forefront of his constitution. You might not agree with him on everything, but he has shown that over the years that his heart was in the right place. Why he should be so eager to align himself apparently with those whose position on humanitarianism and our responsibility towards other human beings is so loathsome is a mystery.

But aligning himself therewith he seems to try to at every juncture, leading to the inescapable conclusion that if you want to asses whether a policy or a position is good or bad, all you need to do is see what the AN Leadership has to say about it.

If AN don’t like it, then it’s probably a fine idea.