From Mr M. Bugeja

The nation was recently told in no uncertain terms by Archbishop Cremona that divorce is not conducive to the “common good”.

What about an individual’s well being and feelings may I ask? Must they continue to be ridden over roughshod in the name of this abstract term?

Common good aside, the Catholic Church’s perennial opposition to divorce, as it never ceases to remind us, stems from the Son of Man’s teachings on the sanctity of marriage, summed up in His command to us that what God has joined together no man must put asunder.

Rather than fixate on divorce, why don’t the bishops speak out more against homophobia and xenophobia – especially when the latter’s venom is directed against dark-skinned persons? I’m sure that these two social evils would feature prominently on any against-the-common-good list, including God’s.

In certain cases, divorce may be the only meaningful ticket to a second chance at happiness – as many a social worker assisting battered wives at Agenzija APPOGG might tell you.

Unfortunately, as a result of the Catholic Church’s influence, which is waning but still considerable over here (witness for instance the ostentatious involvement of the State in Episcopal ordinations), these women, Catholic or not, have no choice but to content themselves with cohabitation if they want to be loved and cherished – not to mention a new life for their equally traumatised children.

Quite some time ago, my late mother bumped into a friend of hers she hadn’t seen for years. Going down memory lane, they naturally had lots to talk about and at one point, my mother asked after her husband.

Imagine mum’s shock at being told that she had left him after a hellish marriage, which lasted for almost 30 years.

The brute used to regularly beat her black and blue. And yet he was the epitome of gentlemanly behaviour whenever she used to visit her friend. A lot of them are like that aren’t they?

Why did she endure this appalling treatment for so long? One of the reasons was that like many of her fellow sufferers she stayed on for the children’s sake, counting the days till they reached adulthood.

I don’t believe for one moment that this man and woman were joined together in holy matrimony by God – He who is omniscient.

Martin Bugeja

BALZAN