RELIGIOUS CONTROVERSY.

Press, Volume LXV, Issue 19806, 19 December 1929, Page 11

RELIGIOUS CONTROVERSY.

REVIVED AT MALTA. (united prf.ss association —by electric TELEGRAPH —COPYRIGHT.) MALTA, December 17. The Archbishop of Malta, addressing parish priests* and the superiors of religious orders, revived the recent religious controversy. He declared that the protest of the Government of Malta, aiming at the refutation c,f Cardinal Gasparri'e * pronouncement, was based on secret documents, which were copied and given to the newspapers. The reply had not reached the Vatican because the British Government, judging it to be indecorous, had not thought it proper to transmit it to the Pone. Another document presented to the British Cabinet a few weeks ago had met a similar fate for the same reason. It was thus clear that the British Government did not support the so-called defence of the Maltese Ministry. He added: The Pope said that a certain Cabinet Minister was non persona grata, and had refused to receive him, despite considerable pressure. He will not receive him unless he repents. Anvone regarding the Government as right in this issue is not a good Catholic, and is subject to canonical penalties. THE PREMIER'S REPLY. (Received December. 18th. 11.20 p.m.) MALTA, December 18. The Premier of Malta, Lord Strickland, replying to the Archbishop of Malta, denied that the British Government had refused to support the Government's communications to the Vatican because of alleged indecorouaness. He had never sought an interview with the Pope, although the Foreign Office urged him to do so. He added that the Ministers' relations with the Apostolic Delegate during the latter's visit to Malta were most cordial. He was certain no condemnation had come from the Apostolic Delegate, and that the aide memoire, which condemned the Government, was the work of partisans who had carefully cultivated and deceived the Vatican's envoys.