I had just come home after collecting my daughter’s two small children from primary school in Marsaxlokk, and noticed that the name of the college emblazoned on their uniform T-shirt was St Thomas More College. Though I had heard of this saint and had even seen the film A Man for All Seasons, I decided to surf the Internet for information about him.

I was pleasantly surprised reading about his life. There was hardly anything that this man of noble lineage had not achieved during his lifetime. He was a prolific writer, a renowned scholar of Latin and Greek, a lawyer and later a judge, a Member of Parliament, a knight, a happily married man and father of several children, an ambassador of the realm, Grand Chancellor of England and a close confidant of King Henry VIII.

Nevertheless, when push came to shove and King Henry wanted to divorce his wife Catherine of Aragon and the Pope refused to comply, the king broke with the Vatican and declared himself head of the Church in England, forcing that nation to obey his edicts, Sir Thomas More chose to forfeit his prestigious career, his wealth and eventually his head, in lieu of going against the teaching of the Church with regard to divorce.

I could not help comparing the saint’s stand against divorce, which eventually led to his martyrdom, to that of the majority of our representatives in Parliament. They not only tabled this infamous Bill but also voted in their majority for a loaded referendum question that clearly favours the pro-divorce stand. Their behaviour shows lack of principle, is non-Christian and definitely goes against the values that make us Maltese.

There is definitely one good thing that has come out of the divorce debacle, the honourable gentlemen, our representatives in Parliament, have shown their true colours, especially with regard to our faith. We as electors, hold all the trump cards, and will never forget their despicable behaviour come election time.

I urge the Church and the anti-divorce movement to pray to St Thomas More and use his behaviour of opposing divorce unto death, as an example for us Christians during the coming days prior to this decisive referendum.

Adrian Bowman

VITTORIOSA