When Mgr Gonzi met Harold Macmillan

Archbishop Michael Gonzi may have expressed seemingly strong reservations about Dom Mintoff to Edward Heath in 1972 but they were distinctly mild in comparison to his comments to British Prime Minister Harold Macmillian in 1959.

The two met at Downing Street on July 29, 1959 after Mr Mintoff had resigned as Prime Minister and parliamentary life had temporarily come to a standstill.

Mgr Gonzi, for the time being, was happy about this since he feared that Mr Mintoff - "a powerful demagogue and the only Maltese leader of stature" - might win any election that was held.

According to the record of the meeting with Mr Macmillan, "the Archbishop hoped that a new party would be formed soon and that Mintoff himself would lose followers" - though he said that this would take time.

Mgr Gonzi told the British Prime Minister that when Mr Mintoff had come to power, the Church had hoped for "good things from him", particularly after the "inertia" of the previous government. But, in the Archbishop's opinion, "Mintoff had turned Malta into a real police state" and he expressed the view that the Cabinet were all "yes men".

To counter Mr Mintoff, who, he said, was attempting to stir up youth, Mgr Gonzi urged the British government not to economise in Malta.

The record of the conversation with the British Prime Minister continues: "(Mgr Gonzi) said he had tried to come to terms with him (Mr Mintoff) but without success. Mintoff was now very angry with the Archbishop because of his broadcast on the riots at the dockyard. Some of Mintoff's henchmen had gone so far as to say that the Archbishop had caused Mintoff's plans to fail but the Archbishop explained that he could not possibly support the idea of independence for Malta because this was an absurd idea".

Moreover, Mgr Gonzi feared that Mr Mintoff would turn for help to the Soviet Union.

A brief biography of the Archbishop in the document bundle describes Mgr Gonzi as "vigorous and outspoken" in spite of his age. It also says his influence during the war as "of the greatest importance" in sustaining the morale of the Maltese people and in ensuring maximum food production and deliveries".

It also says that he "dislikes and distrusts" Mr Mintoff. At that time, no doubt, the feeling was mutual. However, they did have one declared aim in common: to get more money for the Maltese people.