Thomas W. Hedley (1906-1980), a well-known journalist, was a former Editor of The Times of Malta (1950-1965) and later of The Malta Observer, a pro-Church newspaper, which was terminated in 1969 at the advice of Bishop Gerada. If I remember well he was a widower, taking care of his retarded son.
We met at his residence, 59 St. Thomas Street Floriana on 9th May 1973.
See also: https://timesofmalta.com/…/tom-hedley-an-all-round…
‘Gaddafi’s Libya gave the present government a lot of money. As a result of this we are their best friends.
This government is not against the English language, but against British influence. English tourists are most welcome as they spend all their money over here. Other Europeans are much frugal.
Mgr. Gonzi was born in Kalkara. As a priest he was a member of the Senate for Labour. As a Bishop of Gozo he was respected and admired, not popular as he was not a Gozitan himself. In thoese days he was quite progressive. He forced Gozo to feed Malta during the war. The British gave him a Knighthood for his merits.
In 1929 Prime Minister Strickland was opposed by the curia as they were angry because of his cooperation with the ‘by tradition’ anticlerical MLP. Two pro Strickland Franciscans were banished to Sicily. While Strickland was in London, his deputy Prime Minister Bartolo withdrew their passports. Strickland was unaware of this, but he supported Bartolo later. Archbishop Caruana, although pro-British, got involved, supported by Mgr. Gonzi. This resulted in the 1930 Mortal Sin Pastoral Letter.
In 1943 Miss Mabel Strickland opposed the idea of Mgr. Gonzi becoming Malta’s next archbishop.
1n 1949 On May Day at St.Paul’s Bay Mintoffians sang The Red Flag, a British socialist song. The Archbishop (Gonzi) strongly spoke against this and was supported by the Times of Malta. Ever since Miss Mabel and the Archbishop maintained good relations.
On 28th Apiril 1958 there were riots. The church spoke out against violence. Borg Olivier kept silent.
The personal relations between the Prime Minister (Mintoff) and the Leader of the Opposition (Borg Olivier) are good.
Mgr. Gonzi wrote in his pastoral letters: You have to vote, otherwise you commit a mortal sin.
A Member of Parliament or Minister has a lot of power. Their private lives (are they good Catholics?) and attitude with regard to Catholic teaching are of great importance. If you find fault with somebody in this respect and still vote for him you commit a mortal sin. The priests, especially on Gozo, interpreted this as do not vote for Mintoff.
Now a Nationalist newspaper attacks Education Minister Agatha Barbara as religion was going to disappear from the schools. The Archbishop declared that she assured him this was not going to be the case.
In-Nazzjon launches some covered attacks on Gonzi: He does nothing. Of cause, because otherwise he’ll be blamed to be dictated by the PN.
It seems that the Nazzjon rather attacks Il-Hajja than the Labour Government. The Archbishop ordered il_hajja to be moderate pro-Government. The Times of Malta was ordered (I suppose by Mabel; AK), as a catholic newspaper, to write against the Government.
The Archbishop regrets that Dom Mintoff did not finish his education at the seminary.
Mintoff respects the vitality of the Archbishop, but understands that even he can hardly resist the local curia.
Bishop Gerada thought in 1969 that Mintoff could be right. Maybe the church had too much influence. He reconciled both parties in 1969 and stopped publishing The Observer in order to cause less friction. He took care of a more soft pastoral letter before the 1971 elections.
The Archbishop does not want Gerada to be his successor, but he was not able to successfully oppose the appointment in Rome.
However, he was promised not to be pensioned off. Mgr. Gonzi should be willing to resign if Fr. Maurice Eminyan SJ would succeed him. In that case Gerada would be promoted away. But there is little chance as both Minoff and the Italians want Gerada to be moved as he would not likely start a new Church-State quarrel.
Mgr Emanuel Galea, auxiliary bishop to Archbishop Caruana, was seen by many as his successor. Instead Mgr. Gonzi got the appointment, but he kept him as auxiliary. He wrote many pastoral letters and was in charge of the curia. Some regarded him as the brains behind Gonzi, but would be an underestimation of the latter. The formed a good team. Now he acts as a trait d’union between Gonzi and Gerada. He used to be in favour of a hard line towards the MLP.
Bishop Pace of Gozo, once the secretary of his predecessor Gonzi, was strongly anti-Mintoff. His successor Cauchi administered the diocese already when het became bishop.
Dom Mintoff had the best brains since Strickland. He is a man of the people and an advocate of democracy with an autocratic mind. He won’t commit a coup as he has nothing to gain with it. He is likely to win the next elections with the electoral and propaganda apparatus in his own hands. And even if he loses he can earn a lot of money, which he likes.
Borg Olivier has a great instinct for politics, but not for ruling. Its his gradualness versus Mintoff’s direct action. He speaks Italian fluently, but his English is poor (with Mintoff this is exactly the opposite. He is popular with the older generation of the Nationalists, but not with the younger ones. He never makes up his mind, He is lazy, but honest.
Tony Pellegrini came back to the MLP. He is no threat to Mintoff. He has no experience, no savoir-faire, no contacts. Mintoff wanted a good Director of Information. He is a good organizer: ‘Get in or get out’.
Miss Mabel wanted more contact with the UK, but did not support Integration. She speaks not a word in Maltese and does not understand the Maltese mentality. In fact she plays no role any more since Independence.
I don’t expect another conflict between Church and State. Things like that can be noticed beforehand, they start slowly. Only if Mintoff would want to introduce divorce, abortion and/or contraceptives.
After this first meeting we met quite a few times during my various stays in Malta. Mr. Hedley gave frank and valuable comments on the very first draft I wrote on Malta. He invited me to watch the procession of St. Publius from his balcony. When my father visited us in Malta I took him, as an admirer of English football to Mr Hedley and they had a keen discussion on the matter.
When, after a traumatic car accident in Zabbar, I was confronted with an impediment of departure he generously offered me financial help. I still cherish the autographed copy of his novel ‘Duello’ he gave me. He died in 1980. I considered him a fatherly friend.
(originally posted on Facebook on 7th December 2024)