Over the past few weeks, the word “divorce” has been bandied about by a lot of people in Malta and Gozo, as everyone is voicing his or her opinion regarding this controversial word without arriving to any sensible conclusion.

I am a senior citizen and a widower, but I feel I am also entitled to my own opinion about this matter, even though I do not enjoy the best of health at the moment.

Since we were under British colonial rule for many years, I feel I must mention the fact that England was a Roman Catholic country for about a thousand years when King Henry VIII inherited the English throne in 1509 and married Catherine of Aragon who was the first of his six wives. As Catherine did not have any children, King Henry VIII requested the Pope’s permission to marry another woman, desperately hoping to have a son that would inherit the English throne. Naturally the Pope could never grant him that request, as the Catholic Church does not allow divorce. However, the king ignored the papal warning and married another five wives namely Anne Boleyn, Jane Seymour, Anne of Cleves, Catherine Howard and finally Catherine Parr. Following the King’s breach with the Vatican, the Pope eventually ex-communicated him in 1538.

King Henry retaliated by separating the Church of England from the Catholic Church,which led to the separation of the Church of England from papal authority, the dissolution of the monasteries, and established himself as the supreme head of the Church of England. A number of dissenting religious were tortured and executed, including John Fisher, Bishop of Rochester, and also Sir Thomas More. King Henry VIII is also remembered for the English reformation that made England a Protestant nation.

When King Henry realised that he would soon be reaching the end of his journey on earth, he surrounded himself with a few collaborators and exclaimed these very words “My dear friends, we have lost practically everything, the State, honours and above all eternal happiness, because that which God blessed in Holy Matrimony cannot be disgraced by man!” (Life of the Martyrs, page 175, line 10).

I shall conclude by saying that, in my opinion, divorce is a very delicate matter and it would be wise to discuss this question until one can reach a satisfactory solution for the benefit of all concerned.

Carmel Ghigo

QRENDI