It is being widely held by many of our Catholic brothers and sisters in Malta and Gozo that, in the forthcoming referendum, the electorate is called to decide whether it is in favour or against divorce.

Put in this way, it is not surprising that we Catholics are encouraged to vote against.

However, the referendum is not about giving or denying moral or religious legitimacy to divorce. It is about accepting or refusing whether the state will continue to have a right to impose a particular morality on the whole population irrespective whether its citizens are Catholic or not. This is the crux of the whole question.

Whether Catholics stand in favour or against divorce as such is beside the point. We consider it deceitful for our Catholic brothers and sisters to present the referendum issue in this way, thus misleading many a conscientious Catholic.

Though we, as Catholics, may be a million times against divorce, never once can we be in favour of a state imposing the will, beliefs and practices of one particular creed, be it Catholic or not, on citizens who do not share that faith. It is for this reason that our duty, as Catholics, is to vote Yes in the forthcoming referendum.

This position is in line with the will and Spirit of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is also in line with the teachings of our Holy Mother Church. In fact, the last Synod of Malta stated (Ġustizzja u Djakonija, n. 7) that “we (Catholics) have to see that everyone has his or her rights respected by society.” The Synod also adds (same document, n. 8) that “absolute respect for the dignity of persons and their rights is the foremost condition by which love and justice reign amongst us.”

We also note that, in his encyclical letter Caritas in Veritate, Pope Benedict XVI himself states (n. 6) that “charity demands justice: (that is, the) recognition and respect for the legitimate rights of individuals and peoples. (Charity) strives to build the earthly city according to law and justice.”

In the forthcoming referendum, it is only a Yes vote which warrants the absolute respect for the dignity and rights of persons, and the recognition and respect for their legitimate rights.

■ Carmel Hili

www.ivadritt.org