In the first century, St Paul’s shipwreck helped to start Malta’s relationship with Christianity. Since then, the country has been brimming rich in Catholic history, culture and heritage. Invaded for centuries and of significant naval strategic importance in the Mediterranean, Malta gained independence from Britain in 1964.

Today, the tide of secularism, like everywhere in the west, has had a colossal societal spiritual shift in the country. Traditional values are no longer the law of the land. Divorce was introduced in 2011, the morning after pill in 2016, same sex marriage in 2017 and abortion allowed in 2023 if a woman’s life in “grave jeopardy.”

In 2022, the birth rate of Malta was just 1.15 births per woman, a devastating demographic time bomb crisis threatening the future of the family in Malta.

40 Days for Life held a pro-life workshop in Sliema, Malta on Saturday 23 November with the goal of starting a 40 Days for Life pro-life prayer campaign in Malta for the very first time. Pro-life sentiment is still high in Malta compared to other European countries.

The purpose of the workshop was to share news of the spiritual blessings of pro-life prayer campaigns in other countries, with the relevance and pastoral application of such an initiative to Malta. The workshop included inspiration, training, encouragement with in depth questions and answers, networking opportunities and strategic planning.

Malta is unique for the pro-life movement in Europe. It is known that in the last ten years, an average of 57 people had an abortion in the UK from Malta each year. A Malta Today survey showed that 61.8% of the population were still completely opposed to abortion.

During the workshop Father Patrick Pullicino gave a summary of the pro-life movement in Malta from a spiritual and medical perspective and Ivan Grech Mintoff shared a legal perspective of the pro-life situation in Malta.

Rev Patrick Pullicino worked in the UK National Health Service for 20 years and was a consultant and professor of clinical neuroscience, before being ordained a Catholic priest in 2019. He is originally from Malta and has 6 children.

Father Pullicino recognized that contraception is a key under-recognized cause of abortion, a devastating game changer for promoting the culture of death.

Contraceptives are now openly displayed in pharmacies and during covid it was estimated that 350 abortion pill packs were used. The contraceptive pill has considerable neurological, sociological and emotional effects. Contraception changes our view of life, our view of ourselves and our view of God. Contraception turned the mentality of pregnancy into a disease helping to introduce drastic “curative” measures like abortion. Once contraception is legalized, its anti-life inner character begins to do its work.

An increase in the use of contraception leads to an increase in both divorce and abortion.  Pope John Paul II said that couples using contraception remove the procreative capacity and claim a power that belongs to God alone.

Contraceptives are a societal poison with catastrophic effects on society. Contraceptives also bring a denial of moral absolutes which undermines effective opposition to abortion. In Malta, anti life laws are beginning to be enacted (such as IVF, PGD and embryo freezing). A law has been introduced that allows abortion in “extreme” circumstances. Woman can import the abortion pill and there is a vocal pro-abortion lobby. Contraception fuels abortion.

Prayer and reparation can effectively combat the threat of abortion and contraception. Society needs prayer and reparation to atone for ourselves and for others. Prayer and reparation are a powerful way to help society change.

Ivan Grech Mintoff also spoke to summarize the Maltese law on abortion. He has been a politician and until just recently led a small new party who campaigned as an alternative to the two main political Maltese parties. During the presentation a TV camera crew came to report the workshop on national television, interviewing Ivan. Ivan is the nephew of the former Prime Minister Dom Mintoff.

The constitution of Malta beyond doubt by self description is the most important law of the land, not any EU law. Protocol No 7 states that nothing in the treaty on the European Union, or in treaties establishing European communities affect the application in Malta of national legislation relating to abortion.

Chapter 9 of the laws of Malta (Criminal code) without any doubt recognizes the existence of the person within the womb and gives legal protection. No person shall be intentionally deprived of his life.

The civil code of Malta refers to the unborn both as a person and a recipient of rights. If at the time of death any one of the spouses without issue and the surviving spouse declares she is pregnant, a curator may be appointed by court to take care of proprietary rights of the unborn child up to the day of birth (Chapter 16 of the laws of Malta, Article 170).

With the establishment of foundations, the civil code also includes persons not yet conceived among those eligible to named beneficiaries of a foundation.

The fundamental rights and freedoms of the individual state that every person in Malta is entitled to the fundamental rights of life, liberty, security of the person, the enjoyment of property and the protection of the law.

The healthy lifestyle promotion and care of non-communicable diseases act of the laws of Malta states that the advisory council on healthy lifestyles has the duty to advise on and to encourage a lifelong approach from intrauterine life till old age and the minister may make regulations to that effect.

The protection of young persons at work places regulations provides that workers must not be exposed to any harmful substance which causes harm to an unborn child or which in any other way chronically affects human health.

The commissioner of children act states that the commissioner is obliged at law to promote special care and protection for children both before and after birth.

Legal cases

The courts of Malta have directly and indirectly recognized the rights of the unborn person in at least 4 civil cases.

In 1997, a prohibitory injunction was sought by the partner of a pregnant woman who intended to leave Malta to perform an abortion abroad. Although a solution was found and no court decree was issued, an injunction was provisionally upheld by the court in view of the right to life of the human embryo.

In 2015, in Kaxzmarek vs Antonel Dobre, the court help that the child, unborn at the time of the father’s murder, may sue the aggressor for damages. In the latter case the court also discussed the nature of the fetus, describing his personhood and how he is a subject of rights with juridical capacity.

In a 2016 judgement, Andrew and Maria Brincat vs Chief Government Medical Officer et, the civil court declared the defendants liable for the damages sugared by the Brincat family who argues the still birth of their second child was because of the deficiencies in the healthcare system in 1987. This was due to an error in blood typing.

In 2000, a warrant of prohibitory injunction was issued against the principal Immigration Officer preventing him from expelling a pregnant Moroccan national, even though she was illegally residing in Malta. The case was won because if the woman were to be deported to Morocco, she would be forced to perform an abortion.

Dr Philip Beattie is the president of the Maltese society of Christian civilization - Pro Malta Christiana. He above all recognizes the importance of Christian civilization and has worked on a variety of projects and programs to promote traditional Christian and family values. He recognizes a spirit of defeatism among those who wish to save what is left of Christian civilization but is firmly committed to preventing the complete de-Christianisation of Maltese society, a valuable friend in the fight for life.

By the end of the presentation, a prospective leader was found and this represents and opportunity to start a new campaign of prayer to end abortion for Malta. This is an exciting new development with multiple opportunities to help the pro-life movement in Malta come together with one voice for life. A united pro-life movement is vital for cohesive communication without compromise and to speak with clarity and conviction about threats pertaining to the sanctity of human life.

Our hope and prayer for Malta is to fully re-embrace its beautiful Christian heritage and history, recognize the beautiful nature of traditional family life, and to comprehensively reject the intentional killing of unborn children culturally, legally and in society at large. With prayer, all things are possible, including the ending of abortion.