Gozo bishop Mario Grech has warned the European Union that if it chose to be ethically indifferent and sceptical to fundamental values, it would be paving the way for the horror skeletons of its past to re-emerge.

Speaking during a Marian manifestation in Marsalforn yesterday evening, Mgr Grech said that the late Pope John Paul II, who greatly believed in Europe, used to say that Europeans faced a major challenge to build a culture and unity ethic and that if these were lacking the policy aimed at bringing about unity would be destined to fail.

Mgr Grech said that a campaign currently being carried out by Brigitta Ohlsson, a member of the Swedish Liberal People's Party aimed to collect a million signatures to pressure the EU to push countries such as Malta to introduce an abortion act.

This was not the first time that pressure was being made for unethical and immoral laws to be enacted.

Some months ago, Arie Hoekman, a United Nations Population Fund representative from the Netherlands, said that family breakdown was a triumph for human rights.

"Could there be a more unclear vision," Mgr Grech asked adding that it was in this context that the Pope invited Europe to have more confidence in people who could enjoy a family built on marriage.

The bishop said that it might not be fashionable nowadays to speak about sacrifice in marriage but although it was positive that there was more freedom, this brought with it responsibilities.

One of the reasons as to why families were going through difficult times was because society was lost in pleasure and did not want to know about mortification, he said.

The Maltese, he said, should be proactive and send Europe a message of hope. He appealed to families to educate their children in human and Christian values to prepare for a new political generation for the future.