CNA Staff, Jan 8, 2021 / 10:00 am
The Catholic Church in Malta formally dissociated itself on Friday from what it described as a "closed cult community" after a five-month investigation into allegations of psychological and spiritual abuse.
A Jan. 8 statement by the Maltese Episcopal Conference said that the Archdiocese of Malta and the Diocese of Gozo had reaffirmed their decision to cut ties with the Komunità Ġesù Salvatur (Community of Jesus the Savior).
Malta, an island nation in the Mediterranean with a population of 494,000 people, has only two Catholic dioceses. Catholics make up an estimated 94% of the population.
A decree dated Jan. 3 confirmed that priests and religious were not allowed to take part in meetings organized by the community. It also said that the group was forbidden to use Catholic churches or chapels and that lay people should not attend the community's events.