Archbishop on politician's role

Archbishop Joseph Mercieca said it was important that politicians appreciated each other's role and that they were of service to everyone.

He said that it was acknowledged that a country had to have a government as well as an Opposition with different roles and responsibilities, therefore the behaviour of politicians should be built on a complementary relationship where one helped the other.

Mgr Mercieca, who was concluding a seminar on workers in the light of the recent Diocesan Synod, also touched on the harm brought about by clientelism.

Politicians needed to appear to belong to everyone through their actions, and for their part people should not push politicians towards clientelism.

The people's role was to encourage politicians to work hand in hand for the common good.

When the increasing cost of property and the problem of new couples who wanted to find a home was also brought up during the meeting, Mgr Mercieca said that when the Church had transferred its property to the Maltese government, it had intended it to be used for social purposes and where needs were most pressing, including the housing sector.