Editorial

Malta is divided on a number of issues but there are some matters over which the great majority agree upon. One of these would definitely be the stand against abortion as, generally speaking, the Maltese still hold strong moral values. The right to life is one of the key values.

We would like to hope that the strong views of the President himself over the matter is a reflection of the feeling of the people generally. Prof. de Marco has gone on record saying that if parliament were to pass a law permitting abortion, he would be prepared to resign rather than give his assent to the bill. "I will resign rather than assent to a Bill which I find repulsive to my moral convictions," he had said.

It is of course highly unlikely that Malta's parliament would pass such a law.

Abortion hit the headlines again locally when a few days ago the Maltese bishops issued a declaration expressing concern over a report approved recently by a committee of the European Parliament recommending that abortion be legalised in all present and future European Union member states.

The bishops called on "all the representatives of our people" to express their voice in a strong manner against the recommendation. In such a divisive community as Malta's, many feared that the bishops' statement, coming as it does at a time when the controversy over the island's application for membership of the European Union, is at its peak, might send the wrong signals among those who may not be able to read the situation correctly.

Quite rightly, and wisely too, the government reacted promptly. It put the record straight on two essential points.

Firstly, the EU had no right, or the competence, to impose a position in favour of abortion on its members. Resolutions by the European Parliament are not legally binding on members.

Secondly, the Maltese government wanted to put the bishops' minds at rest that it had always adopted a strong stand against the legalisation of abortion both in Malta and in international fora and that it intended to continue demonstrating its determination against abortion once Malta joined the EU.

So both the government and the Church share a common stand on this issue - no to legalised abortion. The bishops did their duty in speaking out in no uncertain terms about the matter and the government was correct in reasserting its position.

It would certainly not be amiss now for the Labour Party to once again add its voice to this common stand so as to help consolidate, as it were, the island's commitment against the legalisation of abortion.

The government is no doubt aware of the lobby in favour of abortion not only in the European Parliament but, also, in international fora.

But the recommendations made by a committee of the European Parliament in no way mean that the island would have to abide by them once it joins the EU, as the great majority hope it would in the next enlargement.

They are merely recommendations, and with the government's stand against abortion so firmly entrenched, there ought to be no concern over the matter.