Keep the heritage, remove the privilege, say Humanists

Press release · Oct 26, 2026 

 

Humanists Malta is calling for a pluralist constitution, i.e., one which recognises the place of religion in Malta’s history while treating every citizen equally whatever his or her beliefs. The recent debate on whether Malta should adopt a secular Constitution has frequently been framed as a choice between two opposing positions. Those in favour of amending Article 2 argue that a state which belongs to all its citizens should not declare a religion of its own. Others, among them some non-believers, argue that religion need not be removed from the Constitution for the State to be secular, since Catholicism has shaped the country’s history for centuries. These positions, however, address different questions: one concerns what the State should be today, while the other concerns what Malta has been throughout its history. In this sense, they are not necessarily in conflict and we encourage “both sides” to consider a redrafting of the constitution that accommodates both.

What Article 2 does

Article 2 of the Constitution states (i) that the religion of Malta is the Roman Catholic Apostolic Religion, (ii) that the authorities of the Church have the duty and the right to teach which principles are right and which are wrong, and (iii) that Catholic religious teaching is to be provided in all State schools as part of compulsory education. The first of these can be read as a statement about the country’s identity and history. The latter two are fundamentally different in nature, as they grant a specific religious institution a constitutional role in shaping moral instruction and education within the State. Note that Article 40 allows parents to withdraw their children from religious instruction, so the Constitution already accommodates families who do not share the faith described in Article 2, albeit through an exception rather than through equal treatment.

Recognising our heritage

Humanists Malta proposes retaining recognition of Malta’s religious heritage but relocating it to the section of the Constitution that deals with national heritage and guiding principles. Chapter II, the Declaration of Principles, commits the State to safeguard the landscape and the historical and artistic patrimony of the Nation (Article 9), and Article 21 states that the principles in this chapter are fundamental to the governance of the country although they are not enforceable in any court. A constitutional statement acknowledging the important role Christianity has played in Malta’s history, alongside the many other traditions that have shaped the islands, would fit within this chapter, or within a new preamble written for the purpose. At the same time, the operative provisions of the Constitution should treat all citizens equally, irrespective of religion or belief, with the State neutral towards all religions and beliefs. Believers would thus see their heritage recognised in the Constitution, and non-believers would see a State which no longer declares a religion of its own.

Drafting our own wording

Other countries have attempted something similar. The preamble to the 1997 Polish constitution, for example, addresses both those who believe in God and those who do not share that faith. However, its wording names God as the source of truth, justice, good and beauty, and describes non-believers as respecting those same values as arising from other sources, so that the values themselves are framed first in religious terms. While this model provides an example of constitutional inclusiveness, Malta has the opportunity to do better by developing wording that places believers and non-believers on genuinely equal footing from the outset. 

An invitation

“Those who want to keep Article 2 are defending the place of the Church in our history, and those who want it amended are defending the equal standing of every citizen before the State,” said James Buhagiar, Chair of Humanists Malta. “Both can be accommodated, provided we are willing to distinguish between what the Constitution says about our past and what it requires of the State today.”

We are aware that a change of this kind requires broad agreement, since sub-article (2) of Article 2 can only be amended with the support of two-thirds of all the members of the House of Representatives (Article 66). Humanists Malta invites political parties, the Church, and civil society organisations to consider this proposal and engage in a constructive discussion on constitutional reform.

Ends

For further information: James Buhagiar, info@humanistsmalta.org, +356 79 373 986 / +356 79 258 285

About: Humanists Malta, originally the Malta Humanist Association, was founded in 2010 and formally established as an NGO in 2011. It advocates for a State which is neutral on matters of religion and belief, and for freedom of both religious and non-religious alike. Although humanists do not believe in any deity, the association respects those who do, recognising that people who differ about religion often share many other fundamental values. Humanists Malta is a member of Humanists International.