Church-State Relations

Question 1

What role did the Church play in Malta?

Answer 1

The Church played a religious, political, social and economic role.

Question 2

What did the British promise when they arrived in Malta?

Answer 2

The British reconfirmed all the rights, privileges and immunities of the Church.
The Royal Commission of 1812 also stated that the State should keep cordial relations with the Church, as any alterations of these privileges could result in angering Maltese people.

Question 3

What are the 4 cases of Church-State clashes?

Answer 3

1. Direct British respect for the Church
2. British backed down
3. British stood their ground
4. British passed reforms through Vatican intervention

Question 4

What were the cases where the British directly respected the Catholic Church?

Answer 4

1. Appointment of a Maltese Bishop
2. Case of Protestant Societies in Malta
3. Cases of Protestant Churches
4. Question of the Throne
5. Order of Precedence of the Bishop
6. Church and Education

Question 5

Talk about the Appointment of the Maltese Bishop.

Answer 5

1807- Captain Ball assured that there would be the first Maltese Bishop.
Bishop F. Mattei was ordained.
K. of 2 Sicilies could nominate a candidate, British had no say cause they weren’t rulers of Malta yet.
1829- Mattei’s death. K. of 2 Sicilies nominated a candidate, British protested to Vatican.
1831- Malta independent from Mediterranean See of Palermo.

Question 6

Talk about the Question of British Protestant Societies.

Answer 6

1814- First Protestant society founded in Malta.
Could not call itself ‘of Malta’. Distribution of Protestant Bibles was restricted. Other societies could print in Malta, but not in Italian nor Maltese, limiting circulation.

Question 7

Talk about the Case of Protestant Churches.

Answer 7

Anglicans weren’t allowed grants from the government to build their church. No churches could be converted into Protestant ones.
Protestant zealots tried to convert St. John in a Protestant church, but Maitland knew better.
Protestants had a small chapel in the Governor’s Palace.
1844- first Protestant church opened in Malta, funded by the Queen, in Valletta.

Question 8

Talk about the Question of the Throne.

Answer 8

1815- Who was to sit on the Grandmaster’s throne in St. John, the Governor or the Bishop?
The Church was owned by the Order so it passed to the Government.
But an agreement of late 1500s said that if the Order left, St. John would be officiated by the native clergy.
Maitland placed the royal coat of arms on the throne.
Two seats were placed beneath the armour, both equal.

Question 9

What did the Question of the Throne show?

Answer 9

It showed the British intentions to maintain good relations with the Church, without entirely giving up their power.

Question 10

Talk about the Order of Precedence of the Bishop.

Answer 10

Bishop was given military honours of a brigadier. He also ranked second after the Governor in order of precedence in official occasions.
This wasn’t even granted to the Anglican Bishop of Gibraltar, was protested.

Question 11

What did the Order of Precedence of the Bishop show?

Answer 11

It showed that the British were ready to make exceptions for the Maltese, if it meant ensuring better control of the island.

Question 12

Talk about Church and Education.

Answer 12

The Church had a long and established control of the education in Malta.
At first the British did not challenge this and promised to consult the Church before making any changes to the educational system.

Question 13

What were the cases in which the British backed down?

Answer 13

7. State of the Conventional Church of St. John
8. Question of Burial Churches
9. Oath Question
10. The Auditing of Accounts
11. Mixed Marriage Question

Question 14

Talk About the State of the Conventional Church of St. John.

Answer 14

1816- Pope wanted to elevate the state of the church to a co-cathedral.
Maitland protested, saying it was government property and might be converted into a Protestant Church. Maltese Church protested.
Compromise: church was to remain catholic and become St. John’s Co-Cathedral, but it was retained as Government property.

Question 15

Talk about the Question of Burial Churches.

Answer 15

Maitland insisted that, for sanitary reasons, burials in churches should be prohibited.
This caused an uproar in the Maltese clergy, who saw it as an insult toward Maltese religious traditions.
British let the matter drop.
1869, it was banned from 3 cities, Valletta and Floriana.
Officially prohibited in 1974.

Question 16

Talk about the Oath Question.

Answer 16

1835- First Council of Government was set up, members had to take an oath pledging loyalty to the King and do nothing against Protestantism.
The Bishop refused to take the oath, and resigned his seat in the Council.
1847- British backed down and changed the wording of the oath, omitting the need for Catholic members to take the oath to protect Protestantism.

Question 17

Talk about the Auditing of Accounts.

Answer 17

1845- Governor Patrick Stuart issued an ordinance to regulate pious foundations and have the right to examine their financial situation.
This ordinance was not consulted with neither the British Government, nor the Archbishop.
The Bishop of Malta appointed a commission to run the pious foundation and other Church-run institutions.
So all these accounts were made public and anyone could ask to examine them.
Stuart’s ordinance was withdrawn.

Question 18

Talk about the Mixed Marriage Question.

Answer 18

At the time there were no civil marriages and mixed marriages were discouraged by the Church. They were tolerated if the spouse agreed to abide by the Tridentine Law.
1831- Clandestine Marriage Act, against those who didn’t comply with canon law
1890- discussions with Vatican to enact Marriage Law, Vatican agreed and the marriage became valid if celebrated according to the rites of the Catholic Church.
1892- Foreign Marriage Act, any British marriage abroad was valid if contracted under British Law. Also valid in Malta.
Simmons-Rampolla Concordat was annulled.
3 huge protests in 1896. Church promised to tame crowd if the plans to legalize civil marriage were scrapped.
British agreed.

Question 19

What were the cases where to British stood their ground?

Answer 19

12. Mortmain Law
13. Freedom of the Press and Libel Law
14. The Wording of the Criminal Code
15. Question of Ecclesiastical participation in politics

Question 20

Talk about Mortmain Law.

Answer 20

Church owned 1/3 of Malta’s property without paying taxes.
After a discussion with the Vatican, the Church could not buy immovable property unless it was sold within a year. If not, it would be confiscated by the government.

Question 21

Why did the Church back down regarding Mortmain Law?

Answer 21

Because it wasn’t a religious matter.

Question 22

Talk about the Freedom of the Press (+Libel Law).

Answer 22

Church was concerned because it could lead to criticism of the Church.
1839- The freedom of the press became law.
Libel Law passed soon later, prosecuting those printing anything considered offensive by the Church.