In a recent letter (‘Confirmed prediction’, March 11), I referred to a prediction I had made in the late 1990s: “After Pope John Paul, le deluge.”

Another prediction I made was included in another letter of mine entitled ‘The theocracy of Malta’ (October 20, 2008):

“In a sermon at the cathedral, Archbishop Paul Cremona declared that ‘a democratic society would be missing out if only one belief or ideology were heard.’ He is absolutely right. A democratic society would be missing out if only Catholic belief or ideology were heard – as is the actual case in Malta.

“The pressure on Malta’s MPs to conform to ‘one belief or ideology’ is evident when they gather at the cathedral on Malta’s supposedly secular State holidays to be lectured every year by Malta’s bishops. The bishops’ subtle pressure on the MPs makes sure that there is no separation of Church and State.

“To make it worse, there is no separation of Church and press either. Sermons by Malta’s bishops, supposedly addressed to a congregation but actually serving to put pressure on Malta’s MPS, are given prominent coverage in the Times of Malta, as if the Times of Malta were a Church newspaper.

“Malta’s power-hungry bishops have got it made. With Nationalist MPs and the Times of Malta on their side, the bishops can rest assured that Malta will remain a Catholic theocracy for some time to come - until a Maltese ‘Zapatero’ come along.”

Five years later, in 2013, a Maltese ‘Zapatero’ did come along, with the election of Prime Minister Joseph Muscat, who, finally, brought about the separation of Church and State in Malta.