BETTER FOR CHURCH AND STATE

Mr. Mintoff does a `Good deed'
‘C.H.' Reporter
THE two Caravaggio paintings, which when removed by the Maltese Prime Minister Mr. Mintoff from St. John's Co-Cathedral, Valletta, to a museum a year ago, accentuated the Church-State rift in Malta, are now back where they belong.
I n the early hours of Sunday morning, when the streets of the city were deserted, they were replaced in St. John's. Early Mass-goers were the first to be surprised at their return. The news spread rapidly: it had been a victory for Archbishop Gonzi, people said. At the museum people had been paying Is. a time to see them. Now the two paintings, one of them " The Beheading of John the Baptist" (reproduced by the CATHOLIC HERALD last week), and the other "St. Jerome," would be seen again without charge by people who had venerated them in the CoCathedral for years.
Time-limit
At the same time. copies of last week's CATHOLIC HERALD were being circulated all over the island. In that issue Miss Mabel Strickland. leader of the Progressive Constitutional Party, had criticised Mr. Mintoffs action in removing the paintings. "1 knew," she said. "that Mr. Mintoff's Government would clash with the Church". But Mr. Mintoff had already decided to return the paintings to the Co-Cathedral. He had been ordered by the Vatican to do so under pain of excommunication, and had been given a time-limit. He dallied. The publication of Miss Strickland's article decided him upon immediate action. Very wisely, the Archbishop of Malta had awaited developments. A publication of the VatiCan order for the return of the paintings would have undoubtedly been a correct. and even a dramatic gesture. But it might only have made Mr. Mintoff even more stubborn.
Supported
Mintoff. who resigned on Monday, is wholeheartedly supported by Maltese Catholics in his endeavour to obtain the best economic agreement with Britain. He knows that he has to make his vote secure at the forthcoming general elections. The return of the paintings is a partanswer of his to the Archbishop when he said a year ago, "If Mr. Mintoff wants good relations with the Church, he must provide deeds, and not only words". He has done the first good "deed". The clergy of Malta arc glad. Mr. Mintoff is now all the stronger in his fight for the economic wellbeing of his people. And the loyal Catholics of Malta. who passionately support Mr. Mintoff in his fight for economic security, are also relieved that their Prime Minister has removed an obstacle towards Church-State rapprochement. But on the issue of integration, the Archbishop has nothing to say publicly beyond his reasonable demand that the rights of the Church must remain intact. Mgr. Gonzi is quite obviously concerned with the preservation of the sanctity of marriage, and on this issue he is at variance with the Archbishop of Canterbury. The latter feels that when one of the partners is a Catholic and the other not, their union, if contracted in Malta, should be considered valid when made in a nonCatholic church. Mgr. Gonzi insists on the Catholic law that it should he performed in a Catholic church, as it must be done. too, in England, or elsewhere, for the union to be considered valid by both the Church in Malta and by the Government in Malta, where Canon law (where marriage is concerned) continues to have civil effects.
Consolidated
Over this last week-cud the possibility of Malta declaring independence from Britain has continued to be discounted. It is a chimera in the opinion of an thinkers. Mr. Mintotl's gesture on the eve of his resignation in returning the paintings will help to consolidate for him the Catholic vote. His words of conciliation directed publicly to the Church authorities brought a generous response from this quarter. With it came a warning, however, and it was directed towards Mr. Mintoff or to ~'whomever takes up the reins of government in his stead: the Church reserves the right to safeguard the people's religion as it may be affected by new political developments.
PILGRIM WRITERS
—to Czestochowa n,N May 4 Cardinal Wystynski, Primate of Poland, will lead the first national pilgrimage of Polish writers to Our Lady's shrine in the monastery on Jasna Gore hill near Czestochowa. Authors, historians, editorial staffs, librarians, archivists, literature and language teachers will all take part in the pilgrimage, which is only one of many visits being made to the natinisil shrine by professional groups. including physicians and lawyers. On April 27, a pilgrimage of former pupils of the Ursuline nuns will commemorate the 100th anniversary of the arrival of the Ursuline nuns in Poland. A pilgrimage of nurses is also scheduled.