No civil marriages on my watch, mayor says

The imposing Mosta Dome seems to be casting a shadow over the secular credentials of its neighbouring local council, as its mayor insists no civil marriages will be celebrated in his municipality.

The option to have a mayor celebrate civil marriages as is the case in many other countries should soon come into effect. Yet, Paul Chetcuti Caruana, a Labour veteran who recently took over as head of the Mosta council, was quoted on newspaper L-Orizzont saying that he would not have any such unions on his watch.

Highlighted by The Times' online blogger Fr Joe Borg with an entry mockingly titled 'The Mullah of Mosta', Dr Chetcuti Caruana was quoted in the Maltese language daily saying that as long as he remains mayor of the bustling town he will not let the celebration of civil marriages in the offices of the local council.

Contacted yesterday, he refused to comment on the matter. "You called for nothing, I don't comment on the phone, but what do you want anyway?" he asked briskly, before dismissing the request for a comment saying: "no, you only call when it suits you anyway."

In his blog, Fr Borg had pointed out that civil marriage had been introduced by the Labour Government in 1975, adding that the move had effectively served the Church well as non-believers were no longer forced to "perform an essentially religious act that they had no faith in".

Under the provisions of the law, which was approved unanimously in Parliament two years ago but which has not yet come into effect because of logistical technicalities, the mayor is given discretion over the matter.