MALTA AND POPE

Hokitika Guardian, 6 June 1930, Page 2

MALTA AND POPE

A WHITE PAPER

(Official Wireless.)

(Received this day at 11 a.ra.) -.-• RUGBY, June 4

Correspondence between the British Government and tile Holy See, ex tending over the last fiiteen months, relative to polities and religious controversy in Malta, is laid before Parliament in a White Paper, nearly a hundred pages long. Mr Chilton, British Minister to the Holy See in a note dated March Ist, 1929, refers to the popular indignation aroused in Malta by the condemnation of the Priest, Fattier Michalleau, a British subject to' leave British territory at the command of Father Carta, who is a foreigner. 'l’he note expressed the view that the intense participation of the Maltese priests in local politics lay at the root of the' trouble, and that the British Government, without wishing, to intervene in that particular case which appeared symptomatic, suggested an independent investigation on the spot by the Holy See, T,he Archbishop of Tyana, Monsignor Robinson, thereafter visited Malta as Apostolic Delegate, and it was understood that after investigation he felt the difference between the Government and ecclesiastical authorities in Malta could be dealt with by definite conduct. ; ; - On July 2nd Cardinal Gasparrie. wrote to Mr Chilton, informing him that Loird Strickland, Pfrinie Min l -, istor of Malta, was a persona not grata to the Holy See and enclosing a copy of the letter addressed to the. Archbishop of Malta and Bishop of Gozo, and a memorandum containing an allegation regarding the conduct of Maltese affairs by Lord Strickland. A statement thereafter, handed to Cardina Gasparrie, by Mr Chilton on August 8 complained, that the see had in the meantime Lrokenhoff negotiations -for a' concordat -without warning or explanation and had -dev dared to be persona not grata-the head of a responsible government in • the British colony and had- issued in-' structions to-the Maltese Episcopicato inviting them to resist the Government and had accused the: Maltese Ministry of civil tyranny. . hnd religious persecution. It was'• further complained that the Vatican - had prejudiced, by such', action, 1 the very questions which the Apostolic. Delegate had, at the Government's request, 'been sent.-to Malta to investigate.

. In a document dated February 12, this year expressing the grateful Up-, Jpreciation of the British Government’s Intention t-o negotiate a com cordat with the Vatican, Lord SijdPk-; land and a Maltose minister agreed to pledge themselves to restrain supporters from provocative utterances during the election then approaching. The Vatican, diowever, refused to give in return, instructions to the MRU-ees Clergy ,to abstain, during the elections, from active participation /in local [politics and declared no negotiations for a concordat were possible w)iile Lord Strickland remained in power.

Despatches from.. Sir. John Ducat, Governor^JE, t%- ,Jy?. rcl ... - p “® s -. field, April and May stated many cases had occurred in which Priests had asked penitents in the confessional whether they intended to vote- for the Con stitutional Party and if the answer was in the affirmative they had refused them absolution. Specific examples of refusal of absolution were cited, while the Pastoral Letter of the Bishop of Malta and Bishop of Gozo declared it a grave sin to vote for Lord Strickland and his candidates. ’

An. emphatic' protest against this Pastoral letter was lodged by the British Government with the Vatican and the resumption of negotiations made dependent upon its withdrawal, in order’'that complete ' freedom • to fexercflse - • their politidal judgment might he 'restored"'to the electorate of the colony.

The- Holy See rejected this condition. '. ■ •

The -concluding -paragraph of the statement handed to the Cardinal secretary a few days ago by the British representative at Holy See, regrets that the Vatican has not appreciated the • :necessity of taking practical measures to complete its assurance of willingness to do all in its power to restore public tranquility and continues: —“Instead .of le Holy See has now refused to take as far as concerns them, the steps necessary for a restoration of normal political life in Malta, whilst l>efore that they, had delayed for many months the long promised negotiations for .defining the relations between the Church and State in the islands, and had finally rendered them impossible by attaching a condition as to the personality of the head of the Maltese Administration, which constitutesnothing less than a claim to interfere in the domestic politics of a British colony.” . .