IN MALTA

Hokitika Guardian, 5 July 1930, Page 7

IN MALTA

CHURCH AND STATE. ■ ' V* ■ ; ' . vFpr more than a year a conflict, eon:P' tinuallygrowing in bitterness and intensity; has been going on in Malta between , the political authorities and the Roman Catholic Church. To understand ithe situation it is necessary to. remember that Malta is a British dependency and has a system of government established by Britain. Originally colonised 'and held by Phoenic-iahs-r-eithey ’ from Tyre and Sidon or from their, colony Carthage—Malta . 1 from the eleventh to the sixteenth centiiry Waa.a portion of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies. In 1580 it was handeid over “to the Knights of St. John, ' Crusading Order that,, in a sense laid the foundations of the modern ambulance and “first aid” systems throughout the world. Napoleon seized, the island in 1800, and in 1814, at the request of the Maltese, the island was annexed to Britain. It remained a Crown Colony till 1921, when it received a Constitution giving it a legisr lature consisting of a Senate (partly nominated) and a Legislative Assembly elected by proportional representation. Like all other British dependencies it has a Governor, and the Prime Minister and his collagues are responsible to the local. Parliament. The system ought to work quite as well in Malta as in ; any of the British Dominions, but unfortunately the intervention of the Church in political affairs has caus ed serious trouble during the past twelve months. ,

CHURCH v. STATE. It-is\difficult to disentangle all the threads of this complicated story y and still harder to form a correct estimate ibf the, motives actuating the different parties 4 to : the dispute. However, the trouble’' came to a head a few months back when Father Carta, Italian Superior of the Franciscans, ordered a priest named Micallef to leave the island. happened that Micallef was a.’ Btrpng'. supporter of the British ascendancy, which is represented not only by the Governor, Sir John du Cane But .by . the Prime Minister, Lord Strickland.' Now Lord j Strickland, who' jfjissborn in Malta, and has held offibif^)' 1 positions there for the greatet; part pf .his life, happens to,be a staunch' Roman Catholic. But while onrefigiops questions he recognises the absblu^te ’authority of the Pope, in fYilitical^affni*' 13 be maintains unswerving: loyalty ito. Britain. In this case He si)|s>9irfcd ; ..large seption. of the people,.wifi? protested against the action of a •, foreign; priest' in claiming the right 'to a British subject. At )fhe request'of the British Government the Pope' sent" an Apostolic Delegate to inquiry into Father,.Carta's conduct. But in tha meantime Cardinal Gasparrjj, whor\Wn(Lthen;;; Papal . Secretary, wrote to the 4 British Minister to - the fcHoly Sea stating that Lord Strickland was .“persona non grata”—in other

'words, “objectionable”—to the Papacy, and alleging against him misconduct in the management of Maltese affairs. These charges meant that the case was. prejudged while vertlgation was in progrees, but in the interests of peace Lord Strickland offered to undertake that his supporters would not adopt an aggressive or provocative attitude during the coming elections. But the Bishop of Malta then issued a pastoral letter fulminating the charge of “grave sin” against anyone who should support Lord Strickland or his candidates.

ITALY PULLS THE STRINGS. .According to a White Paper recently laid before the House of Commons, the British Government considers that the Papacy is thus chiefly responsible for the abnormal conditions of political life in Malta. Lord Strickland :has been in London for some little .time endeavouring to explain the position, and he was followed there by M. Bartolo, one of his chief Ministers, who largely shares hi.s views. It was rumoured that the Cabinet has resigned ; it is now announced that the Consi tution has been suspended, and it is even believed that very shortly Malta will be restored to its old rank as a Crown Colony. This much is certain that the Papacy has made a vigorous attempt to render • constitutional government on British lines impossible in the island, and many well informed i observers see in all these controversies | and complications the influence of Fascism nnd the hand of Mussolini. Several Italian Nationalist societies have recently attempted to work up a crusade in favour of the absorption or annexation of Malta as an outlying fragment of “unredeemed Italy.” This claim is wholly delusive. The Maltese are not Italians, but Phoenician by descent, their language is not Italian; throughout their history in modern times their connection with Italy has been brief and superficial; and the ideas and aspirations of the people are entirely alien from Fascist leaning. Neither racially, historically nor geographically can Italy claim Malta. But Mussolini has always encouraged hi.s people to look forward to a. great revival of Roman Imperialism throughout the Mediterranean and now that the Papacy has made its peace with the Throne, it is not unnatural that critically-minded people should see the shadow of Fascism behind these repeated and determined attempts at Papal intervention in the internal affairs of Malts. 'A vigorous attempt

- koe n made by the Church to indime the British Government to supersede Lord Strickland: but this is an indignity which the Imperial authorities are not likelv to inflict either upon themselves or him.