This was despite a Curia statement that Archbishop Charles Scicluna had instructed the priest to delete his post. 

“Let’s not take people for a ride,” Debattista said in a public message to Scicluna. “The comment you asked him to delete had already been deleted by Facebook as this image shows. Just as you rightly expect high standards from our leaders, others expect the same.”

Debattista’s partner and PL MEP Cyrus Engerer shared Facebook’s message too, stating that he expected much better from the Church and expressing his hope that the justice system “will not let us down too”.

Yesterday’s comment by David Muscat was removed by Facebook itself after it was verified that it was homophobic, apart from being criminal in #Malta to incite hatred against minorities. I expected much better by the church. Hopefully, the justice system will not let us down too. pic.twitter.com/Jikh1kb8nA

— Cyrus Engerer (@engerer) January 6, 2022

Gay rights movement MGRM also weighed in, stating “there goes the false declaration that David Muscat removed the comment because he was ordered to do so by the Archbishop”.

Muscat was called in by police after everyone from Equality Minister Owen Bonnici to Inclusion Minister Julia Farrugia Portelli called on police to investigate the cleric’s online comments.

The priest will reportedly be charged over online hate speech.

Archbishop Scicluna has apologised on behalf of Muscat and issued the priest with a formal warning, referred to in Canon Law as a penal precept, warning him he will be banned from exercising his ministry in public unless he stops making inflammatory and hurtful comments in public forums.

Do you think the priest should be charged with hate speech?