The interdict of the sixties : a sociological perspective

Abstract

The politico-religious conflict which took place during the sixties in the Maltese Islands between Mintoff and the Bishop of Malta (Bishop M. Gonzi), and his successor the Bishop of Gozo (Mgr. Pace), has had repercussions that can be still felt today, such as secularisation and also stigma. Although, back in the late sixties, or rather in 1969, the interdiction was lifted, one can still feel a sense of antagonism between the two parts, in particular by the Malta Labour Party militants who were either interdicted or excommunicated from the religious community. In view of the fact that there are many issues that, until this day, have not yet been settled, many people are reluctant to openly discuss what had actually brought about the many disagreements between the Bishops and Mintoff. Furthermore, although this issue has been looked into a number of times, namely by politicians on television programmes, etc., it has rarely been looked into from a sociological point of view. The literature in chapter two looks into several sociological themes and theories that are relevant to this political conflict that had erupted between the socialists and the clergy. The information gathered namely from newspaper articles, books, amongst others, and that gathered from interviews carried out with Malta Labour Party executives and militants as well as the clergy, will be applied to the literature in chapter two as a means through which the politico-religious dispute can be examined from a sociological perspective.