Valletta, Malta, May 23, 2011 / 18:13 pm
The Catholic Bishops of Malta are reminding the faithful that they are responsible before God for their votes in an upcoming referendum that could legalize divorce.
“The Christian must always act with reference to our Lord Jesus Christ and his teachings,” they stated in a May 21 pastoral letter entitled “Opting in Favor of Permanent Marriage.” They explained that when voting, a Christian “must bear in mind that he shall be accountable to Jesus for his choice.”
The letter, authored by Maltese Archbishop Paul Cremona along with Bishop Mario Grech of Gozo and Auxiliary Bishop Annetto DePasquale, encourages citizens to support marriage and the family with their votes on May 28. On that day, voters in the small, largely Catholic island nation will decide whether or not a bill allowing divorce will be allowed to advance in Parliament.
In their letter, the bishops said it was a moment for Catholics “to make a choice in favor of our Lord Jesus Christ.” They stressed that voters “must look through his eyes,” and “choose Jesus as the path that leads to this truth.”