AD welcomes call for reassessment of Church-State Agreement

Alternattiva Demokratika – The Green Party reiterated its call for a reassessment of Malta’s Church-State agreement.

Michael Briguglio, AD Chairperson said: “AD welcomes the statement of Labour MP Luciano Busuttil regarding the 1993 Church-State agreement which was ratified two years later. Through this agreement, Church annulment tribunals are privileged over civil tribunals and this is uncalled for in a secular state. The divorce referendum result should lead to a reassessment of the Church-State agreement, in order that Malta may move closer to pluralistic, progressive and liberal societies”.

Yvonne Arqueros Ebejer, AD Deputy Chairperson and Spokesperson for Civil Rights, said: “AD has been speaking on the fact that a non-state tribunal has precedence over state courts since 1995. We therefore reiterate that this anomaly should be reassessed”.

Prof Arnold Cassola, AD spokesperson for EU and International Affairs, said: “Malta’s 2004 membership of the EU, endorsed by the majority of the population, is a declaration of a membership in a political community of a secular nature, that respects all religious sentiments with great tolerance, but insists that the separation between politics and religion is a fundamental principle. The situation in Malta today betrays the spirit on which the EU is founded”.