A lot has and is being said and written about divorce. Unfortunately, this has been turned into a political issue, which should never have been the case and would be a real shame if one was to vote for or against divorce simply because the leaders of political parties say so.

Divorce or not is a matter of principle and to talk about it one has to understand what marriage really is in the first place. So what is marriage?

Two people – I mean a man and a woman –are attracted to each other and fall in love, so much that they want to be united together and also assume the responsibility of raising a family. And this is so important to them that saying this to each other alone is not enough for them. So they opt “out of their own free will, without any pressure and as they please” to confirm this in front of witnesses and thus bind themselves together. And this not for a year or two or a few months or weeks but “until death do us part” they solemnly declare. And that’s not enough; they also make it very clear that this bond will hold good under any circumstances; whether they are rich, poor, healthy, sick, whatever the situation.

So which person worth his salt will chicken out of this bond when for us mortals a handshake is enough to honour our word and we do not feel comfortable going back on our word as we would feel belittled and humiliated.

Many are finding it strange that the Church uses all its means to defend marriages. One should be dismayed and scandalised if the Church did not; the Church – that is clergy and laymen alike, is duty bound to do so. Which soldier would not dare fight for his king? And isn’t the Church the army of Christ?

It doesn’t mean that problems won’t arise in the course of married life, as all married couples can confirm. But then, if one has a precious stone and this gets scratched or damaged, is it thrown away like it had never existed or is everything possible done to restore it to its original state and glory? And are not husbands, wives and children more precious than a jewel; or are they?

So whether divorce is voted for or against in the coming referendum should not be a question of which alliance, pro or anti, has more money or does more campaigning and lobbying, or who is David or Goliath as some believe. It should be a matter of principle; a question of being well grounded in one’s beliefs or not, and whether one is made of the right stuff or not. It is the duty of all Catholics and all those who really believe in Christ to vote No to divorce. It has been proved over and over again that divorce is not the solution to marriage problems; in many cases it led to worse situations especially to the suffering parties.

A. Brincat