No, Joseph, Archbishop Gonzi is related to Lawrence Gonzi, our dear Prime Minister.

@ DCG:
There were considerable differences between the politico-religious struggles of the pre-war years and those of the 60’s. Strickland capitulated after three years, while Mintoff stuck to his guns for a decade, until the Church signed what is, practically universally, considered an unconditional surrender.

Moreover, many Constitutionalists – especially the better-educated ones who could be relied upon to comment articulately about the goings-on during the struggle – in later years changed their allegiance, and switched to the PN.It’s no longer in their political interest to resuscitate the past.

[Daphne – The clue to the reason why former Constitutionalists don’t resurrect the past lies in the first sentence of your last paragraph. Most of the Constitutional Party’s backing came from that sector of society which disliked drama and political posturing, and you would never have caught any of them making xenati or going to war with the church or any of that. Because they were better-educated, they could work things out for themselves. Put simply: Mintoff could manipulate his supporters into a face-off with the church. Strickland could never have done the same, even if he had wanted to, which he didn’t. And actually, no – those who grew up in households of Stricklandjani did not switch to support for the Nationalist Party, which was the arch-enemy (Labour was closer to the Constitutionalists pre-Mintoffjanizmu). Lots of Stricklandjani families migrated to Labour first, and only moved away in horror when they saw what was happening. Some never moved away at all. It was under Fenech Adami that former Constitutionalists really became comfortable with voting for the Nationalist Party, because he reinvented it.]

And secondly, to be quite honest, I still can’t understand all the fuss about the issue of the “Interdettjati” as you call them.

I can’t see why your parents had to vote PN as SURELY nobody would have had any idea what they wrote on the ballot paper.

But I can understand that It might have been more of a moral/conscience issue for people in those days to disobey the church.

Thankfully, nowadays most people would just point 2 fingers at the Archbishop and get on with their lives.

Anyone ever told you that Archbishop Gonzi was also a founder member of the Malta Labour Party and represented its interests in the senate in those days?

My own parents had always voted Labour, but when faced with the prospect of committing mortal sin and being prohibited from receiving Communion, chose to forego voting Labour. Rather face the earthly Hell (as they saw it) of a Nationalist government than risk eternal damnation in a spiritual one. My mother had tearrs in her eyes when she learnt that the Church and MLP had finally made peace – and she could finally vote Labour again.

The anguish many staunch Catholics with Labour leanings went through – whether they finally decide to stick to their Labour beliefs or not – should not be taken lightly. For some, the resentment at the unfairnes(as they saw) of the choice they were forced to make was to provide justification for the violence they perpetrated in the 70’s and 80’s. It was a good excuse anyway.

[Daphne – The Constitutional Party was there before Labour, and you can rest assured that it was much worse in the 1920s. But you never hear any whining. Why? Maybe it’s because that party’s supporters came from a different socio-educational background and realised that adults must face up to the consequences of their actions.]

I note that Joe Scheidler, who I assume is a lay person, was waving a big stick (excommunication), presumably without any religious authority. So sad when the Catholic religion which is essentially based on love and forgiveness is reduced to the old fire and brimstone threats.

And saying that the Church was anti-Mintoff only doesn’t stand up to the reality that all those who voted Labour were interdicted, not only Mintoff personally. ALL Labour voters were interdicted.

Archbishop Gonzi also represented this power structure (the Church) that was so powerful in Maltese society. He was ordained a priest in 1908, appointed a Bishop in 1928. If anyone represented the status quo, it was him. So if anybody was going to try and rock the boat, a la’ Mintoff and his 6 points, it was obvious that he wouldn’t be met kindly.

[Daphne – If people voted Labour knowing they would be interdicted by the Church, then they knowingly made a choice in favour of Labour and against the Church, and like all adults who make a choice they had no right to complain afterwards. With religion, you can’t have your cake and eat it. They make the rules, you stick to them. Nobody was forced to be a Catholic, even in the 1960s, and nobody was forced to vote Labour. Grown-ups take decisions and live with the consequences.]

For a person who describes herself as secular, you seem to be condoning the fact that the Church had entered into areas where it shouldn’t have. I’m only 27, so I or my family weren’t personally effected, but saying that voting for the MLP is mortal sin is surely interference in the Democratic process.

Reading accounts of the Muzewmini spraying disinfectant after a Labour rally, or of church bells being rung constantly, doesn’t leave one in doubt on whose side the Curia was on.

[Daphne – I am very secular, yes, which is why my attitude would have been: if the Curia doesn’t like the way I vote, tough. I really can’t understand the frame of mind of those people who want to make the Catholic Church in their own image, so that they can be members and still do as they please. The Curia was not so much for the Nationalist Party or against Labour, as vehemently anti Dom Mintoff. And you know what? It turns out the archbishop was right: the election of Mintoff in 1971 was the worst thing to happen to Malta since aerial bombardment in World War II. We are still recovering today, and the party he led hasn’t recovered since.]