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PM fails to censure Glenn Bedingfield's abuse dig at the Archbishop
By Ivan Martin
[with video] Prime Minister Joseph Muscat failed to condemn an aide yesterday who had made a public ‘priest child abuse’ dig at Archbishop Charles Scicluna. Glenn Bedingfield, employed at the Office of the Prime Minister on a position of trust basis, shared a video clip Tuesday of Mgr Scicluna accompanied by the caption: “At least the Prime Minister didn’t go into any children’s bedrooms.” In the clip, Mgr Scicluna is seen criticising Joseph Muscat’s controversial new year’s message during a television interview aired on Monday night. Mgr Scicluna told the interviewer he trusted that “the next time Dr Muscat visits a kitchen, it will be real”, a reference to the Prime Minister’s staged tete-a-tete with a young couple inside their designer kitchen. Mr Bedingfield’s comment was a reference to sexual abuse by priests. Mgr Scicluna was the chief Church prosecutor in such cases when he served at the Vatican.
A spokesman for Dr Muscat said: “Mr Bedingfield’s comment should be taken as having been made in his personal capacity and as a commentator who presents a Pointing out that Dr Muscat was in Montenegro on official business, he added: “You appreciate that the Prime Minister was not monitoring Facebook statuses.” Mr Bedingfield’s tweet sparked outrage, with many taking to social media to question a government consultant attacking the head of the Maltese Church. In a statement, The Nationalist Party said that it expected action from Dr Muscat.
In a subsequent tweet, Mr Bedingfield said he was not calling the Archbishop a paedophile but stopped short of saying he had referred to child abuse. He later Mgr Scicluna did not comment on the matter.
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