The divorce debate, if it can still be called that, is now picking up steam. The pro- and anti-divorce camps have launched their campaigns and despite their protests of innocence, the government and the Church have done so too.

In keeping with our editorial policy, as announced weeks ago, we have allowed space to all and sundry to say their piece. We have taken a stand in favour of the introduction of a responsible divorce, but we believe that we have been fair in our allocation of space and the manner in which we have reported the issue. But, we will always retain the right to speak up in terms of editorial policy – hence this leading article.

We take to task Finance Minister Tonio Fenech, who has written an opinion piece (facing page) on the issue of divorce, under his title as Finance Minister. Mr Fenech makes certain arguments which, we feel, are not worthy of modern representative democracy – much less from a person elected by his peers, who holds one of the most senior government positions in Cabinet. He begins by saying that he is amazed at the levels of intolerance being shown by the pro-divorce lobby, only to then go overboard in Catholic zeal to tell us, you the readers, why God is against divorce and we (you) are sinners if we approve of it.

Mr Fenech tells us that certain sections of the media are using bullying tactics. We counter, believing that he is referring to us as we are the only publishing house to have taken a public stand in favour of divorce and we ask, sincerely, where and when we might have done so. Just yesterday, the main item on our front page was a faithful report on the launch of the anti-divorce campaign.

Mr Fenech asks why people even bothered to attend the Our Lady of Sorrows procession if they did not want to hear about the Church’s position on divorce. We remind Mr Fenech that Our Lady of Sorrows feast is not about divorce, but the pain through which a mother went through in her son’s life. We could list them, but none of the sorrows pertain to divorce or marriage – most in fact, are not at all about religion, but the love of a mother towards her son.

Mr Fenech tells us God has a say in all our lives. We wonder, does he have a say in the way we are sitting back in the Libya crisis? Does he have a say in the co-habitation (horrible word) law that the PN is drawing up? Does he have a say in the sham electricity hikes that Mr Fenech himself imposed, when all and sundry know that we are merely paying for accumulated losses and inefficiencies of Enemalta?

Mr Fenech also says that God dictates to us... did he dictate World War II? Did he dictate Fukushima? Did he dictate the holocaust? No, he most certainly did not, that is the work of man. And the work of man always comes from the establishment – of which Mr Fenech is part.

We have no doubt that Mr Fenech practises what he preaches, he is a family man who believes in preserving family. But such a piece is insensitive, arrogant, deprecating and bordering on fundamentalism. We need not quote him, it is there on page 10, untouched for all to read. Mr Fenech preaches about the lack of pluralism in Maltese society, and we strongly urge him to hold up a mirror to his words and digest them. If he cannot see that his piece for what it is – a rant – then the lines between Church and State have gone for good. Mr Fenech calls all those who disagree with his views as sinners, intolerant people and, if we read between the lines, much more.

He says God has given us a manual, the Bible. But we point out that the Bible as we know it was written by an English scribe in 1384. So hated was he by the Pope, for the ‘slant’ that he gave, that his body was exhumed, his bones crushed and dumped in a river. Very tolerant. We also point out that the Church only got involved in the marriage contract in the 900s. The reason was to prevent forced marriages and priests were provided as witnesses. It evolved from there. In fact, the Church didn’t fully take over the business of marriage until 1563 at the Council of Trent. Religion and marriage, in the context of history, seem to be newlyweds.

Mr Fenech has passed judgement on us – all of us. But, we will use this yardstick that he has given us in terms of being a pious devout Catholic, in every single decision he takes from now on – it is his weights, and his measures and we will remind him of it when we feel we should.

We will conclude this piece by drawing on the teachings of Jesus himself and we put these words to Mr Fenech: “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you” – Matthew 7:1-2.

We could have another discussion about the 10 Commandments, which Jesus upheld, but that’s for another day.