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Muscat hints at reform of Church-State agreement on marriage tribunals
Prime Minister will advocate retention of Roman Catholicism as official religion in national convention on Maltese Constitution.
19 March 2013, 12:00am
Karl Stagno-Navarra
Karl Stagno-Navarra
1 min read
Joseph Muscat at the Vatican City after the papal inauguration.
Prime Minister Joseph Muscat has given a clear indication that the Maltese courts will no longer be subordinate to the Ecclesiastical Tribunal's decisions, under reforms his Labour government will be pushing.
In a comment he gave after today's inaugural pontifical mass for Pope Francis in the Vatican State, Muscat told MaltaToday that his government was "adamant on a clear separation of church and state."
Without referring to the 1992 Church-State agreement - which gave the Curia's ecclesiastical tribunal supremacy on annulments for Catholic marriages, over proceedings instituted in the civil courts, Muscat said that "we must ensure that our marriage law is supreme to that of any other law, and not subordinate."
Muscat however also added that he wanted to see the Roman Catholic religion maintaining its status as Malta's official religion. "I will be advocating it myself in the national convention on the Maltese Constitution, because the religion has contributed towards our historical and cultural heritage."
Muscat said that following the introduction of divorce back in 2011, for which he campaigned in favour, the Labour government would be looking towards "an enhancement of our reciprocal responsibilities... this is the kind of evolution I would like to see, which in my opinion will serve well for both state and church."
Muscat accompanied President George Abela to the Vatican today, along with PN leader Lawrence Gonzi, and auxiliary bishop Mgr Charles Scicluna. Archbishop Paul Cremona and Gozo bishop Mario Grech formed part of the episcopal conference in attendance.
Emmanuel Mallia •
Xifajk, The myth that St Paul came to Malta, started by the Knights. There is no tradition or documents mentioned in the Maltese history . There is another island, which in the old days used to be called Melita. It is now called Miljet, in Croatia. And this island is in the Adriatic sea, as mentioned in the act of the apostles ! There is no proof of Publius either !
Before the coming of Count Roger, Malta was Muslim, and there are documents to prove it.
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Ghal min irid ikun jaf jien wiehed mis-suldati tal-azzar li suppost jipprezenta il-moviment li jekk lilqa lil kulhadd ma nahsebx li ghandu jtajjar l barra l-gheruq.
Barra li mort l-ahjar 2 meeetings kwazi nkollha smajthom fuq il-one.
fuq taz-zwieq kull ma ser jigri li l-knisja minn flusna niffrankawlha bagatella u ghal min jigi bzonn bhal ma ghandna qorti li qatt ma taf fejn int lanqas ma ser tkun taf b dan.
Il-principju tieghi hu li bhal ma kienn arroganti wistin gatt meta qal li b 6 zejda jghaddi minn fuq kulhadd, nahseb li bhal ma ghamel hazin austin hekk jaghmel hazin JM jekk jirraguna hekk.
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Yes serracin, it definitely is! Cosi fan tutti!
Emmanuel Mallia •
Is this the way of being European ? Cosi fan tutte !!
Emmanuel Mallia •
Is this the way of being European ? Cosi fan tutte
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Yes. Jesus Christ had to sent St Paul to this blessed Island and had to pass through all that hardship so that we can have faith. we should be proud to be catholics. I am sure Joseph that ST PAul will guide you through your 5 year term for the benefit to all Maltese and Gozitans. It is our country and no one should interfere with our business. We don't interfere with theirs.
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@ bejn il-linji : Mela ghaliex hsibthu qed jirreferi meta qal iktar minn darba 'it-twelid tat-Tieni Repubblika'?
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Joseph Muscat is a Man For All Seasons,Prosit.
Emmanuel Mallia •
Have I seen this on the PL electoral program ?
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Quote,
because the religion has contributed towards our historical and cultural heritage."
Unquote.
Did the church contribute to our SOCIAL heritage at all? It has unfortunately been omitted from the above statement.
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This George Pullicino just doesn’t get it! The PN simply won’t come back any time soon before the likes of Pullicino disappear.
This guy should emigrate or hide himself from the public, he treated people worse than garbage when he had power and now he still thinks people are fools and somehow he can voice his opinion to position a comeback of sorts within the party. This Pullicino hasn't digested the enormity of the 37,000 defeat; four districts are now Labour strongholds and these people won’t be shifting back soon with the likes of Pullicino on board.
Pullicino’s showing in the election means nothing; his career is over and he won’t come back. The new PN leadership should cut the cord with this lot ASAP. The next election might be an even bigger disaster for the PN if it doesn't change beyond recognition and discard this junk.
If you factor in the power of incumbency, the fear factor of old labour, the huge scandals that are coming to light and the likely success of Muscat’s first term, you might get the real picture and the scale of this wipe out.
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U hekk ghandhu jkun , AMEN!
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@bejn il-linji: Where in the world is the State submissive to the Ecclesiastical Authorities?
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"adamant on a clear separation of church and state." About time Joseph. Well said !!!
Patricia Marsh •
@ bejn il-linji. Meta tqum mill-istordament erga ibda harbex biex ic-cucati li tghid ma jkunux daqshekk gravi. Prosit Joseph u jekk ma jimpurtax tkomplix tohrog b'iktar proposti daqshekk cari u konkreti ghax sa 5 snin ohra il-Partit Nazzjonalista jkun spicca....u dan il-pajjiz jixraq li jkollu oppozizzjoni.
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@bejn il-linji: And you see this as a negative because...?
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well done Joseph!!
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@bejn il-linji
Ibda biex kliemek jixhed li int QATT ma' attendejt ghall xi diskors li kien jaghmel Joseph u ghalhekk il-kummenti tieghek huma frivoli u barra minn posthom. L-aktar, l-aktar li stajt tisma inti kien lill Gonzi meta qal "fid 9 ta' Marzu nivvutaw u fl 10 ta' Marzu niccelebraw" jew "il-Laburisti iwaqqawna ghac-cajt". Hemm ghalfejn inkompli jew ahjar nieqaf hawn? F'idejk "bejn il-linji".
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@bejn il-linji
Riformi socjali ghandi nahseb li tinkludi din ir-riforma wkoll.
Jareth Grima •
stop hinting, start acting.
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Too little too soon
Jareth Grima •
stop hinting, start acting.
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Only one word comes to mind dear Joseph........Hurrah!!!!!
Too many people have had to suffer because of what was probably the most infamous anti-social law ever passed in the last 30 years or so.
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Din ma ghedtilna fl-ebda mass meeting. Jaqaw diga qtajt qalbek jew kibritlek rasek??
