Until the past days, political observers and even candidates for the past general election have been sordidly invoking disciplinary action against MP Edwin Vassallo. I am glad the pound of flesh they were craving for was not delivered and that Vassallo’s conscience was respected after (though not before) the vote was taken in Parliament.

Furthermore, I humbly suggest that, in the present circumstances, the Church in Malta is in a freer position to be more charitably prophetic in its dialogue with the political community as the Vatican Ecumenical Council II wished it to be. The sole strength of the Church is God. It is up to the Church to dissociate itself from those who, for various reasons, wish it to remain chained with the shackles of past allegiances.