Curia denounces blogger’s allegations on Azzopardi’s ‘fast-tracked’ annulment

A feud between the Maltese Catholic Church and historian-cum-blogger Simon Mercieca keeps simmering over his allegations that former Nationalist MP Jason Azzopardi obtained the annulment of his Catholic marriage, through his friendly associations with members of the Church tribunals.

Prof. Mercieca, whose blog host a variety of conservative and hard-right voices, has alleged Azzopardi curried favour with members of the anti-corruption NGO Repubblika, namely Alessandra Dee Crespo, a Chancellor of the Curia’s appeals tribunal, or regional tribunal of second instance. Jason Azzopardi acts as a lawyer to Repubblika.

The Curia once again denied allegations of favouritism towards Azzopardi, insisting that Crespo, as well as appeals tribunal president Mgr Joseph Bajada – both of whom travelled to Sicily with Azzopardi for an event commemorating anti-mafia prosecutor Giovanni Falcone – do not preside on the tribunal that hears marriage annulments, the Metropolitan Tribunal of first instance.

Bajada presides over appeals of the ecclesiastical tribunal, which is distinct from Metropolitan Tribunal. The Curia said neither Bajada nor Crespo had any involvement in the annulment case, which fell under a separate tribunal headed by Mgr Brendan Gatt.

“Despite a clarification… he repeats the falsity that the chancellor of the appeals tier doubles as chancellor for the Metropolitan Tribunal of first instance. If he had carried out a simple Google search – or visited the Archdiocese of Malta website – he would have discovered that each division has a separate chancellor,” Bajada and Gatt, judicial vicar at the Metropolitan Tribunal, said in a statement.

“Prof. Mercieca alleges that Jason Azzopardi’s annulment case was ‘fast-tracked’. The reality is that it took almost five years to be determined when decisions in most cases are delivered within 18 months.”

The Curia also said Mercieca’s blog carried various errors, such as claiming that Bajada was a lecturer at the Faculty of Theology at the University of Malta, having retired from the post six years ago. “His blogpost contains several other allegations and statements which are either inaccurate and untrue. We wish to reassure the public that the contents of proceedings before the Ecclesiastical Tribunal are strictly reserved for the parties concerned and their legal representatives, and we will not allow the reputation and integrity of the Ecclesiastical Tribunal, or that of the individuals within it, to be sullied by Prof. Mercieca’s false statements and allegations.”

The archdiocese is often the target of ultra-conservative voices hosted on Mercieca’s blog, which frequently champions right-wing elements in the Nationalist Party, nursing a long-time feud with anti-corruption NGO Repubblika, and promoting blogs from anti-vaxxers, or traditionalists Pro Malta Christiana.

“The Ecclesiastical Tribunal is the fiefdom of the ‘repubblichini’, which obtained for Azzopardi his marriage annulment. Azzopardi has been on holiday with the head and chancellor of this tribunal,” Mercieca claimed in his blog.

Mercieca allged Azzopardi’s friendship with Bajada and Crespo allowed him to obtain a Church annulment of his marriage to Marica Azzopardi Balzan, which will follow with a civil annulment in the Maltese courts, and deny his ex-wife any maintenance or alimony. Azzopardi underwent separation proceedings in 2017. In 2011, he had voted against the divorce bill despite the electorate’s “Yes” in a referendum. In 2018, he was hit by an €800,000 garnishee order filed by his ex-wife.