Maltese sisters win legal battle

THE NURSING sisters of the Little Company of Mary, expelled by the regime of Mr Dom Mintoff from Malta, have won a court battle to regain the adminsitration of their hospital.
Six of the sisters, including their superior in Malta, Sr Luigi Dunkin, took refuge in England after the Blue Sisters' Hospital was taken over by the government.
When the sisters went to law, the Maltese authorities suspended the courts for more than a month. Last week the Maltese Court of Appeal ruled that the hospital must he adminstered "exclushely and in perpetuity" by the sisters. It was granted to them by a will in 1911.
The government's take-over bid had come as part of a scheme to bring all health facilities under a state system. The nuns refused to work as government employees and had their work permits withdrawn.
Mr Mintoff faces an election next February. The Church has to tread a careful path. Its control over Catholic schools is also under threat from NIr Mintofrs Labour Party.
Archbishop Joseph Mercieca was in Rome when the Appeal Court announced its decision, and this week he was unable to comment on the matter.
Sister Luigi unkin com mented in Einglan at the future of the Little Con.pany in Malta depended on the Provincial Superior. "Originally we applied for a licence to operate the hospital and il was turned down by the Department of Health in Malta. So we really have no idea what will happen now," she said.
But she thought that the verdict showed that the courts in Malta had regained their confidence.