Gozo bishop Mario Grech yesterday compared Malta's election campaign to the political process Christ went through over 2,000 years ago, saying it was characterised by "slander and mockery".

Speaking at Ta' Pinu Sanctuary in Gozo in honour of the 'Mother's Hour' event held on Holy Saturdays, Mgr. Grech delved back in time to speak about the way the authorities felt uncomfortable with Christ, who they ended up accusing, mocking, beating and finally killing.

In the same vein, Malta has just experienced a political process laden with slander and mockery. This applied to "everybody". It caused many wounds and made victims not only of those directly involved, but also their families.

He said it was the Church's duty to reflect on the recent election campaign to see whether man became a victim of this process.

He questioned how it is possible for the public to remain indifferent to this political process. He also underlined that people should reflect on whether the last 40 holy days of Lent had left victims in its wake.

The bishop also reflected on the Virgin Mary who radiates hope for us all. He said she was a symbol of hope in Christ's words - life triumphs over death, love wins over hate and peace conquers violence.

He hoped that the Easter celebrations would lead people to continue to discover God's word in their lives.