In his letter entitled “Christianity and freedom” (TMIS, 26 September), Dr Michael Asciak’s insistence that the introduction of divorce legislation will affect those that are against it and who, according to him, are being imposed upon simply by the fact that divorce law would be available for those that badly need it is of course fallacious. Quotations from Thomas Aquinas about objective truth and objective common good in society will neither convince nor solve the problems of those who are separated and who are prohibited by an indifferent and uncharitable society from living normally or from starting afresh, as is evident from the great number of people in different separation cases who are waiting and hoping that common sense will triumph in the end.

I find Dr Asciak’s writing rather amusing, especially when he contradicts the maxims of his own religion, similarly to what a great number of supposedly practising Catholics are doing most of the time, as he did when he cited the subject of cohabitation for example, in his letter of 12th September. It appears that at times he ignores Roman Catholic dogma and expects his readers to accept blindly the opinion of some unknown friend of his from Boston, who apparently claims that divorce proceedings in the US often resulted in a form of financial poverty among the middle and working classes. First of all, financial difficulties is not an argument in itself against divorce, and secondly, it can be argued analogously that a substantial number of the extant thousands that are involved in local separation cases are also suffering from both negative effects and financial problems. However Dr Asciak failed to suggest any solution for these people, and of course so did his friend from Boston.

Dr Asciak gives one the impression that he is living in a sort of dream world, far removed from reality in which, according to his personal view, Christianity augments freedom and does not reduce it in any way, and that faith provides greater freedom to an individual and not less. He seems to be oblivious to the fact that for true practising Roman Catholics there is no real freedom of conscience, and there never was. The Pope who is supreme and who claims infallibility plays the tune and whether it has to do with divorce, cohabitation, contraception, IV, abortion or some other controversial subject, it is the Vatican and not Catholic adherents who decide and dictate irrespective of their individual conscience.

Finally, I suggest to Dr Asciak that he refers to Monsignor Gouder’s recent interview on Radio RTK on the subject of divorce legislation and to tell us honestly whether he still feels that individual Roman Catholics are free to decide.

Vladimir Cini

MARSAXLOKK