A correspondent in last Sunday’s paper wrote: “They are telling every mother and father: remain loyal to each other; honour the commitment you made on your wedding day; stay strong; try to solve your problems by asking God’s help; love your partner truly even if it involves sacrifices and hardship.”

I couldn’t agree more and I hope they all do.

That is how his and my generation were brought up. Duty came first. But the next generation, which we brought up with the help of television, computers and mobile phone is not like that. We brought them up differently and it’s nobody’s fault in particular. Times change.

In the meantime, marriages keep breaking down and, with or without divorce legislation, marriages will continue to break down. With or without divorce legislation children will “change their bedroom according to the day of the week, possibly having to share with other unwanted children”. With or without divorce legislation children will “have to sleep in a house with another parent who is not one’s own”,

“We adults have to defend these innocent beings.” They are the ones who suffer most and being pigheaded and castigating their parents by not letting them remarry will not help them much. Because with or without religion, with or without divorce legislation and with or without the fundamentalist outlook of many of those preaching against divorce, their parents’ marriage will still break down. 

Your correspondent asks: “Shall we legitimise the second, third, and subsequent marriage of a violent/abusive spouse to be able to form other families with a very good chance of repeated abuse?” Possibly not, but the abused partner of a violent marriage deserves a second chance.

It is a pity that your correspondent sees everything in terms of money; taxpayers; social benefits; footing the bill; maintenance, and/or wealth. We are talking about the delicate fabric of people’s lives here.

Pray that pique will not blind us into perpetuating this injustice. Remarriage is not the solution but it is far better/fairer/more practical than cohabitation and illegitimate children.

P. Bonello

PAOLA