.-
Citizens of the island of Malta have voted to legalize divorce, making a choice that the country's Catholic bishops have warned will lead to family breakdown and a loss of religious identity.
“Even though the result is not what I wished for, now it is our duty to see that the will of the majority is respected,” said Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi in a speech on Sunday, acknowledging the outcome of the May 28 referendum.
Labor Party leader Joseph Muscat praised the result as “the birth of a new Malta.”
Initial counts showed the pro-divorce side coming out ahead by a narrow margin, winning between 52 and 54 percent of the vote. Nearly three-quarters of all eligible voters participated in the referendum.
The divorce bill will now go before Parliament for a final decision.
Prime Minister Gonzi's Nationalist Party has a small majority in the legislature. However, some members of the party, who were instrumental in bringing the divorce question before the public, now seem poised to give their approval and turn the bill into law.
Catholics account for the vast majority – up to 98 percent – of Malta’s 400,000 people. For decades the island has remained one of the few countries in the world that did not permit divorce, although it did allow for the annulment of illegitimate marriages.
Malta’s Catholic bishops made their opposition to divorce clear in the run-up to the referendum, particularly in their May 21 pastoral letter.
“A choice in favor of permanent marriage is an act of faith in the family, built upon a bond of love which cannot be severed,” they wrote.
“Whereas a choice in favor of divorce leads to the further destruction of marriage and the family and, as a consequence, the destruction of values and the quality of life.”
Maltese voters opt for legal divorce in national referendum
Related news
Related articles
- Second Vespers with bishops, priests, religious and seminarians
- Celebration of Vespers with Bishops, priests, men and women religious, ecclesial and pastoral movements of Galilee in the upper Basilica of the Annunciation in Nazareth Address of the Holy Father
- Letter To The Bishops Of The Catholic Church On The Pastoral Care Of Homosexual Persons
- Guide for 2008 Federal Election - Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops
* The number of messages that can be online is limited. CNA reserves the right to edit messages for content and tone. Comments and opinions expressed by users do not necessarily reflect the opinions or beliefs of CNA. CNA will not publish comments with abusive language, insults or links to other pages
Featured Videos
May
25
Catholic Daily
Gospel of the Day
Jn 21,15-19
Gospel
Date
05/25/12
05/24/12
05/23/12
Daily Readings
First Reading:: Acts 25:13b-21Psalm:: Ps 103:1-2, 11-12, 19-20abGospel:: Jn 21:15-19Homily of the Day
Jn 21,15-19
Homily
Date
05/25/12
05/24/12
05/23/12
Most Popular
