Labour Leader Alfred Sant yesterday dismissed the Mosta mayor’s objections to civil marriages in his locality by saying “they have to happen”.
Asked for his reactions to Mosta mayor Paul Chetcuti Caruana’s hardline opposition to officiating civil marriages in the council hall, Sant gave a curt reply that sounded like an overruling of the mayor’s weird decision.
“We had discussions with him (the mayor),” Sant said. “Civil marriages will happen, yes, why not?”
Chetcuti Caruana has already told him why, in his bizarre antithesis to Labour’s own historical policy introducing civil marriages in the 1970s: “I have a right to stick to my principles. Couples should first undergo a Cana movement course, and then get married. If they want to get married civilly they can go to other local councils, not this one. … I am a Catholic, and I refuse to wed couples in a non-Catholic way.”
While the law allowing mayors to officiate civil marriages is still awaiting the ministerial go-ahead, Chetcuti Caruana has adamantly confirmed his intention of ignoring the bill, come what may.
Sant’s statement yesterday also somehow contrasted with that of secretary-general Jason Micallef who last Sunday told MaltaToday he had no problems with the mayor’s stand.
“If Paul Chetcuti Caruana decides not to officiate civil weddings, it is entirely up to him,” Micallef said. “I don’t think this is in any way discriminatory or controversial since couples may choose to get married in any other local council.”
Chetcuti Caruana famously declared his return to politics in February last year to sister paper Illum as returning “from the reserves squad”.
“I am now reporting back to active duty. I am in the SAS, the special forces of the Labour Party and am responding to the party’s call.”