Author: lifenetwork

12 October 2026

To: Hon. Roberta Metsola, President of the European Parliament

Chairs and Co-Chairs of the Political Groups of the European Parliament

Hon. Maltese Members of the European Parliament

Subject: Request for correction and right of reply: The Hate Review (Life Network Foundation Malta)

Madam President,

Honorable Group Chairs,

Honorable Maltese MEPs,

I write on behalf of Life Network Foundation Malta, which is named in The Hate Review: How the Anti-Gender Movement Spread Across Europe, 2000–2025, published by Forbidden Colours. The report is being launched today at 14:00 in the European Parliament (Spinelli 3H1), hosted by MEP Marc Angel. We write in a spirit of dialogue, to express serious concerns about the report, its methodology and rhetoric and its use of Parliament’s premises to launch it.

Who we are

Life Network Foundation Malta is a faith-based NGO inspired by a Catholic ethic of life. Through our maternity support unit, our education programmes and our advocacy, we support mothers, families and children.

Our work is for every person who needs support. We have accompanied clients from many different backgrounds, including same-sex couples. One such couple came to us during a crisis pregnancy and has spoken publicly, in their own words, about the help they received from us free of any bias: https://www.facebook.com/lifenetworkeu/videos/294503995498872/

Our organisation in the report

The report lists Life Network Foundation among the “anti-gender organisations and networks” in Malta and describes us as “the most institutionally developed actor” in that field. It refers to our annual March for Life, our crisis pregnancy support service and our membership of the One of Us European Federation, and it presents our lawful petitions, public statements and court action as evidence of an “anti-gender movement”.

We reject this characterization. Our positions concern the protection of life and the dignity of every human person. They are not directed against any person or group. Peaceful marches, petitions, submissions to Parliament and recourse to the courts are the ordinary tools of democratic participation, and they are protected rights.

Several of the founding fathers of the European project, among them Robert Schuman, Konrad Adenauer and Alcide De Gasperi, were Catholics, and the European project has deep Christian roots. I hope and pray that being Catholic has not become a ground for exclusion at the European Parliament today.

Use of hateful rhetoric

We are also deeply concerned by the report’s rhetoric. It describes the organisations it names in terms of a “viral load” and “a chronic infection that never clears”, and it states that its aim is “the decontamination of Europe” through “the patient dismantling” of these actors.

Whatever one thinks of our positions, describing lawful citizens’ associations in terms of disease and elimination is dehumanizing language at its best. It has no place in democratic debate, and certainly not under the roof of a European institution.

Treaty values presented as “hate”

The convictions that this report treats as a threat are protected by the founding texts of the Union. Article 2 TEU is built on human dignity, freedom, pluralism and respect for human rights. The Charter of Fundamental Rights protects human dignity (Article 1), the right to life (Article 2), freedom of thought, conscience and religion (Article 10), freedom of expression and of association (Articles 11 and 12) and the protection of the family (Article 33), and it prohibits discrimination on grounds of religion, belief or political opinion (Article 21). Article 11 TEU and Article 17 TFEU commit the institutions to open and regular dialogue with civil society and with churches.

Disagreement is not hatred, and the answer to disagreement is debate, not “decontamination”.

Our request

Hosting this launch in the European Parliament risks giving the report an authority it has not earned, particularly as none of the organisations it names appears to have been invited to respond. We therefore respectfully ask:

1. that the President of the European Parliament make clear publicly that this event is not endorsed by the Parliament, and that the Parliament does not share the report’s language or conclusions;

2. that the political group leaders reaffirm the Parliament’s commitment to pluralism and to dialogue with all lawful civil-society voices;

3. that Life Network Foundation Malta, and the other organisations named, be given a right of reply, and that future events on these topics include the organisations concerned.

We hold our convictions openly, and we defend them lawfully and within democratic debate and remain open to respectful dialogue.

Yours sincerely,

M. Sciberras

CEO, Life Network Foundation Malta

Some parents never hear their baby cry. Others never have the chance to hold their child in their arms. And others are forced to say goodbye long before they are ready.

Today, 15 October, on Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day, at Life Network Foundation we remember these little lives and the families who carry their loss.

In Malta, where family is so deeply cherished and the arrival of a new baby is celebrated with such joy, we must also learn to make room for those whose anticipation has turned into grief. Not every pregnancy ends with a baby in its mother’s arms. And not every parent has photographs, birthdays, or memories to share.

Sometimes, in our attempts to offer comfort, we say things like, “you can always try again,” or “at least it happened early.” Yet love is not measured in weeks of pregnancy, nor is grief diminished by the brevity of a life.

As a society, we must learn to listen more, to assume less, and to recognise that these parents do not need our silence or our explanations. They need our presence, our understanding, and our compassion. We must ask ourselves whether, here in Malta, we have created enough space for these families to grieve openly, to speak about their children without discomfort, and to receive the support they deserve.

Today, at 7 p.m., families across the world will light candles as part of the International Wave of Light. As the light passes from one time zone to another, a beautiful chain of remembrance will encircle the globe. Perhaps each small flame can remind us of something our society must never forget; that even the briefest life can leave an immeasurable mark on the human heart.

“Hey Sis! Thinking of You!”

That was the message carried through Valletta a few days ago by the Voice for Choice rally: a call to be the “big sister” a woman might need, to stand beside women facing fear, secrecy and difficult pregnancies, and to offer practical and emotional support.

On one thing, at least, we can happily agree.

Hey sis. We are thinking of you too.

We are thinking of the woman staring at two lines on a pregnancy test and wondering how her entire life changed in thirty seconds.

The student thinking; what happens to my future now?

The mother wondering how she can possibly afford another child.

The woman who is frightened, abandoned or desperately wishing somebody would simply say: “I’m here.”

Yes. Be that sister.

But perhaps sisterhood can stretch just a little further. Because there is somebody else in this story. Very small. Very quiet. Very easy to leave off the placard.

The baby.

The September campaign spoke about a community that “refuses to leave anyone behind.”

We rather like that sentence. We would just add or emphasise one word: anyone.

At Life Network, supporting a woman does not mean pretending her child is irrelevant to her situation. It means refusing the tired idea that, somewhere along the way, compassion requires choosing which of the two deserves our support.

Give her help. Give her friendship. Give her practical assistance. Sit beside her when she is terrified. Help with the things that made her believe she had no choice in the first place.

And then stay. Long after the slogans and marches are over.

So yes: Hey Sis. Thinking of you. 

Thinking of your fears.
Thinking of your future.
Thinking of your baby.

And if you need someone beside you, we are here.

For you. For your baby. For both of you.

Life Network Foundation is launching a new series of 39 programmes, Tgħanniqa 360, on Xejk TV.

Throughout the series, we will explore the different areas of Life Network’s work and discuss issues connected to life, pregnancy, family, support, dignity and care.

Each programme will focus on a different topic, helping viewers understand the practical support available through Life Network and the challenges faced by individuals and families in our community.

We will also speak about the wider questions surrounding human life, from its earliest stages through different seasons and circumstances.

Tgħanniqa 360 will create space for conversation, information and real stories, while sharing the work being done every day to support women, children and families across Malta.

Join us throughout this 39-programme series on Xejk TV as we look at life from every angle.

**Put your business on TV while supporting a good cause!**

Life Network Foundation is preparing **39 episodes of our upcoming TV programme Tghanniqa 360**, and we’re inviting businesses to advertise with us.

Your advert can reach viewers across the series while your contribution helps support the work and mission of Life Network Foundation.

Interested in getting your business on screen?

Send us a private message or contact us to find out more.

**Advertise your business. Support our cause.**

What are the things you Need to Know About Abortion in Malta?  Abortion is discussed a great deal in Malta. There are pro-choice NGOs, activists and campaigns calling for changes to the law, and the subject appears regularly in our newspapers and social media feeds. 

But amid all the noise, it is worth being very clear about what the law in Malta actually says. 

Know about Abortion in Malta

The first thing you should know about Abortion in Malta is: Abortion remains Illegal. 

Under Article 241 of the Criminal Code, deliberately procuring a miscarriage is a criminal offence. The law continues to recognise that human life has value from conception, and that jeopardising such life is a criminal offence. 

There is, however, an important distinction that sometimes gets lost in the debate. 

Malta’s law provides an exception where a medical intervention is necessary because a pregnant woman is suffering from a medical complication that places her life at immediate risk, or her health in grave jeopardy that may lead to death, subject to the conditions laid down in Article 243B. In other words, Maltese law does provide for doctors to intervene to save a woman’s life. 

Then comes another claim worth clearing up: women are not routinely being sent to prison for abortion in Malta. 

The law treats abortion as a criminal offence, yes. But parliamentary information reported in 2021 established that no woman had actually been imprisoned for an abortion-related offence in the preceding 25 years. Since then, prosecutions have occurred, but outcomes have included conditional discharges, probation and suspended sentences rather than women being sent to jail. 

That distinction matters. The law continues to recognise abortion as an offence, while courts retain the responsibility of considering the individual circumstances of the person before them. 

And there is another part of the abortion conversation that receives considerably less attention: what happens when a woman wants to continue her pregnancy but feels she simply cannot cope? 

That is where organisations such as Life Network Foundation come in. 

And the help offered is not simply a sympathetic conversation and a pat on the back. 

Life Network accompanies women throughout pregnancy with counselling, emotional support and very practical assistance. If a mother cannot afford baby clothes, nappies, a cot, a pushchair or other essentials, we help provide them. If she is struggling to pay for necessary doctor’s appointments, we can help with those costs too. Financial difficulty should never leave a woman feeling that abortion is her only realistic option. 

And sometimes the problem is bigger than a packet of nappies or a medical bill. Sometimes a woman has nowhere safe to live. 

Life Network provides free accommodation for women who need housing, with support that can continue for up to three years as they work towards stability and independent living. Our homes are not merely a roof over someone’s head: they are intended to give mothers time, security and practical support while they build a future for themselves and their children. Life Network also assists mothers transitioning into independent living with necessities such as rent, household items and baby supplies. 

Life Line can be contacted on 2033 0023, while a 24/7 online chat is available through Life Line Malta. Support is confidential, and counselling is available during pregnancy, after birth and also for those seeking healing after an abortion. 

Because an unexpected pregnancy can be frightening. 

But frightened should never have to mean abandoned. 

And whatever side of the abortion debate makes the most noise, women deserve to know something very practical indeed: help exists, it is real, and they do not have to face pregnancy alone. 

Want more information to know About Abortion in Malta ?

If this post moved you, don’t stop here.

• Sign up to receive updates and see how lives are being changed.
• Support our work by making a donation—every gift helps us reach more mothers, protect more children, and speak up for life.
• Follow us on Facebook

Together, we’re building a culture that values every life.
Thank you for being part of it.

What if I told you there exists an international declaration, signed by more than 41 countries; that explicitly states there is no international right to abortion? Chances are you’ve never heard of it. Fewer still know that Life-Network Foundation actually joined it and sought answers from the Government when our country’s name was nowhere to be found among its signatories.

The document is called the Geneva Consensus Declaration. Despite its name, it has nothing to do with the Geneva Conventions governing armed conflict. Adopted in October 2020 by a coalition of countries led by the United States and eventually endorsed by dozens of nations, it is a political declaration, built around four principles: promoting women’s health, strengthening the family, respecting national sovereignty, and affirming that international law does not establish a right to abortion.

Why should anyone in Malta care?

Because Malta is regularly told that it is “on the wrong side of history” for protecting unborn life. International organisations, advocacy groups and even some politicians often speak as though abortion were already an established human right under international law.

But is it?

The Geneva Consensus Declaration was created to answer that very question. Its signatories argued that while countries may choose different approaches to abortion, no international treaty creates a legal right to abortion or obliges states to legalise it. In other words, nations remain free to decide this issue for themselves.

The issue has become ever more newly relevant following the recent visit to Malta of Bethany Kozma, one of the key figures behind the Geneva Consensus Declaration during its launch in 2020, to Life Network Foundation. Her visit provided an opportunity to revisit a fascinating, yet largely forgotten, chapter of Malta’s own diplomatic history.

When the Declaration was launched, Life Network Foundation followed the initiative closely. As governments gathered virtually to endorse it, one country’s absence stood out.

Malta.

Curious as to why Malta had not joined a declaration that appeared to reflect its longstanding legal position on abortion, Life Network contacted the Ministry for Foreign and European Affairs.

The Government’s reply was revealing. Malta never made it to be one of its signatories.

Although the Geneva Consensus Declaration is not legally binding, its significance should not be underestimated. International declarations often shape future negotiations, influence legal arguments and contribute to the gradual development of international norms. Today’s political declaration can easily become tomorrow’s legal interpretation.

That is why the Geneva Consensus Declaration matters.

It is not merely a statement on abortion. It is a statement on sovereignty, on the proper interpretation of international law, and on the conviction that no country should be pressured into changing its laws by claims that an international right exists when no such right has been established.

For those of us who believe that every human life possesses inherent dignity from conception, the Geneva Consensus Declaration represents something even more profound. It reminds us that human rights are meaningful only if they are truly universal. If the smallest and most vulnerable members of the human family can be excluded from protection, then the language of universal human rights begins to lose its meaning.

Bethany Kozma’s visit was more than a courtesy call. It was a timely reminder that the work of defending human dignity is never complete. Declarations alone cannot protect life. Laws matter. Institutions matter. But above all, people matter; people willing to stand for those who cannot stand for themselves, to speak for those who have no voice, and to defend the inherent dignity of every member of the human family.

Malta has long been recognised internationally as a country that defends the right to life. That voice should not diminish. If anything, it should become clearer, more confident and more compassionate.