Mikiel Gonzi - Church-State Relations

Church-State Relations

Gonzi's tenure as Archbishop of Malta was marred with strained relations with the Labour Party partilcarly its leader Dom Mintoff.

Trouble stated in 1948 when Mintoff was still Deputy Leader of his Party. At a dinner in which Mintoff presided, guests sang The Red Flag and anti-clerical speeches were made. Gonzi demanded and Mintoff made an apology.

Relations stated deteriorating again during the Integration campaign of the mid-1950s. Gonzi feared that the privideged position of the Roman Catholic Church would be lost to the Anglican Church once Malta became part of the United Kingdom and asked for guarantees which were never forthcoming. The church and its supporters were categorically against the plan for integration and asked voters to vote 'no' or abstain in the referendum of 14 February 1956, floating banners such as 'Meta tivvota Alla jarak u jiggudikak' (When you're voting God will watch you and will judge you).

The Church and in particular Mikiel Gonzi's relationship with the Labour Party worsened further in 1958 when nationwide protests and street unrest developed after it was announced that the dockyards will be gradually run down and the number of workers drastically reduced. Gonzi condemend the violent protests and accused the Labour party of supporting them. The Labour Party in turn accused the church for condemning the protesting workers while never condemning the harsh repressions by the British authorities.

The antagonistic talk was further exacerbated with Labour's decision to developing relationships and seek membership of the Afro-Asian Peoples' Solidarity Organization (AAPSO), believed to be a socialist front organisation. On 17 March 1961 Archbishop Gonzi, interdicted supporters of the Labour Party, specifically, the Party's Executive Committee, readers, distributors and advertisers in the Party papers and voters and candidates of the Party. The key issue became whether the state should be secularised in line with modern parameters, or whether the Church should retain its privileged position.

Those interdicted could not receive the sacraments and, when they died, were buried in unconsecrated ground, in a part of the cemetery popularly called by the pejorative term Il-Miżbla. This included Labour deputy leader and prominent novelist Ġużè Ellul Mercer.

During interdiction the political climate in Malta was very tense with the church organising rallies for preparation of the spirit in view of the forthcoming elections. The Labour party rallies were also often disrupted by continuous churchbell ringing and whislting and other deliberate noise by Catholic laymen. Sermons during mass were predominantly characterised by political issues and so were pastoral letters read in church.

Interdiction would only be lifted in 1964 and peace with the Labour Party only made in 1969.