Unit M

• The Maltese Church was organized into the Archdiocese of Malta and the Diocese of Gozo in 1864
• The Bishop managed the local Church from the Curia, assisted by Monsignori or Canons of the Cathedral Chapter of Mdina and Valletta
• Gozo has its Cathedral in the Citadel
• The clergy in Malta were trained in the Bishop’s Seminary at Mdina
• Besides priests, there were various religious orders in Malta, such as Franciscans, Carmelites, Dominicans, Augustinians, Capuchins, and Salesians
• The parish priest in Maltese villages had a position of great influence, representing the Bishop and caring for the spiritual and personal needs of parishioners
• The parish priest was also in charge of ritual ceremonies and the maintenance of the parish church
• Daily prayers were important for villagers, regulating their lives by the cycle of religious activities
• The village feast to the Patron Saint was a significant social and religious occasion for parishioners, involving band marches, fireworks, and community gatherings
• The Maltese Church played a significant role in education, with primary and secondary education run by religious and diocesan priests
• Church schools for boys and girls were established by various religious orders in Malta
• Lay organizations within the Church were set up to increase loyalty to the Church, combat secularization, and address social demands and problems
• The M.U.S.E.U.M. (Magister Utinam Sequatur Evantelium Universus Mundus) was founded by a Maltese priest, Dun George Preca, in 1907
• The M.U.S.E.U.M. aims to provide religious formation to its members through a life of prayer and instruction
• All members of the M.U.S.E.U.M. are tied by a promise of celibacy
• The male and female sections of the M.U.S.E.U.M. are completely separate
• Each section of the M.U.S.E.U.M. meets daily in its houses in various towns and villages to teach catechism to children
• The Society of Christian Doctrine, founded by Dun George Preca, is the strictest and oldest of the lay groups
• The Society of Christian Doctrine helps the Church at the parish level by providing religious formation to its members through prayer and instruction
• The lay Catholic organizations in 20th century Malta include Catholic Action, Dar l-Emigrant and the Emigration Commission, Caritas with rehabilitation centers for drug addicts, Homes for the Elderly run by nuns, Children’s Homes run by nuns and priests, Dar il-Providenza for persons with disabilities, The Young Christian Workers, and Refugee homes supported by the Jesuits and Dar l-Emigrant
• The British promised to protect and uphold the privileges of the Maltese Catholic Church in order to keep the loyalty of the clergy and the people
• In Malta, the British treated the Catholic Church with respect to avoid conflicts that could result in riots against them
• The British helped increase the power and prestige of the Maltese Church by allowing religious teaching in schools and charitable institutions to be left in the hands of the Church, exempting the Church from taxes, and expanding the Church's organization and bureaucracy by opening more parishes and lay organizations
• Disputed issue: Church property in Malta

  • What did the British want to change: Not specified
  • Why did the Church authorities oppose: Not specified
  • How was the issue settled: Not specified
• Disputed issue: The liberty of the press

  • What did the British want to change: Not specified
  • Why did the Church authorities oppose: Not specified
  • How was the issue settled: Not specified
• Disputed issue: Priests as members in the Council of Government

  • What did the British want to change: Not specified
  • Why did the Church authorities oppose: Not specified
  • How was the issue settled: Not specified
• Disputed issue: The Law about Mixed Marriages

  • What did the British want to change: Not specified
  • Why did the Church authorities oppose: Not specified
  • How was the issue settled: Not specified
• Manwel Dimech was seen as a threat by the Church and the British in Malta because:

  • Not specified
• The Church and the British supported each other against Manwel Dimech by:

  • Not specified
• In the politico-religious crisis of 1930-1932:

  • The general elections of 1921 and 1924 were won by the Nationalist Party
  • Most of the clergy supported the Nationalist Party
  • The quarrel started when the clerical members in the Senate voted against the budget presented by Strickland’s Government
  • Strickland wanted the Vatican to stop priests from taking part in Maltese politics
  • The Papal Delegate Mgr. Robinson concluded that the quarrel was brought about by Strickland’s attacks against the Church and clergy
  • The Bishops issued a Pastoral Letter advising people not to vote for Strickland and the Labour Party
  • The Governor suspended the election amidst protests from the Nationalist Party
  • A Royal Commission came to investigate the issue
  • The British Government stopped its support for Strickland
  • The election in 1932 was won by the Nationalists
• In the Church-MLP dispute of the 1950s and 1960s:

  • The Church issued a pastoral letter against Integration in 1955
  • The Church-Government dispute divided the Maltese
  • The Bishops declared that ‘no one can be at the same time a sincere Catholic and a true Socialist’ in 1960
  • The Bishops interdicted the MLP newspapers
  • Mass meetings and rallies were organized by both sides
  • The election of February 1962 resulted in a clear victory for the PN and the Junta parties
• Complete the following table about the Maltese politico-religious disputes of 1930 and 1962:

  • Name the two leading figures involved in each of the disputes
  • What caused the disputes
  • Which side did the British Government support in the disputes and why
  • How was each dispute settled
  • One major result for each dispute on the Maltese Church and Maltese politics
• In the declining influence of the Church since Independence:

  • The Church had a quarrel with the MLP on the Independence Constitution
  • The implications of Vatican II Council
  • Peace between the Church and the MLP
• In the 1966 election, the PN won, but the MLP increased its support by 9% despite the ongoing quarrel with the Church
• The Church authorities feared that the next election could be won by the MLP
• Archbishop Gonzi aimed to make peace with the MLP before he died
• The Vatican appointed Mgr. Emmanuel Gerada as Auxiliary Bishop to represent the Archbishop in talks with the MLP
• In December 1968, the Archbishop removed all religious restrictions against the MLP
• The Truce of 1969, reached on Good Friday, was a significant factor that helped the MLP win the 1971 general election
• When Mintoff became Prime Minister in 1971, he initiated the separation between Church and State through various measures: