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Grech responded the visit should go ahead, adding a cheeky dig that the pontiff will have better reason to visit if Labour wins the election.

“You call for a doctor when a patient is sick after all,” he said.

The Prime Minister took a dig at Grech while dodging the original question, which was whether he condemns Inclusion Minister Julia Farrugia Portelli’s recent dig at PN candidate Julie Zahra for her singing past.

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“I believe that everyone has a strong contribution to offer this country and that the artistic sector is crucial for national development. I spoke to my friend Howard Keith Debono, one of the main players in the cultural sector, this very morning and the PL has candidates who are artists.”

The Malta Entertainment Industry and Arts Association, which Debono is president of, criticised Farrugia Portelli’s comments as being “derogatory” to artists.

“There is no dishonour in being a politically active singer,” the MEIA said. “We need way more artists who speak out for what they believe in and fewer politicians who speak disrespectfully of the art profession.”

“Ironically, in these pandemic times, it is much easier to be a politician on a stage than an artist on a stage, and it is clear that a lot of work must be done for the arts to be considered a profession.”

What did you think of Bernard Grech’s comment?