The Catholic pro-divorce movement is insisting that Catholics are duty-bound to vote ‘yes’ in the forthcoming divorce referendum, and they referred to comments made recently by theologian Fr Rene Camilleri as “a complete volte-face”.

“We are baffled and grieved by some comments reportedly made earlier this week by our brother Fr. Rene Camilleri during a talk in Paceville.”

The movement said he conveyed the incorrect notion that Catholics do not really have the option of a free vote in the forthcoming referendum.

Moreover, said the movement, a leading theologian would have been expected to make a distinction between approving recourse to divorce from a moral point of view, and granting citizens the right to divorce, which is what the referendum is all about.

“Speaking during a television programme last October (Inkontri on One TV), our brother stated that “the Church can never agree with divorce. However, this did not mean that the Church should hold back the country from moving forward in its choices”.

Now, by stating that Catholics did not really have the option of a “free vote” in the divorce referendum, Fr Rene seems to have made a complete volte-face, said the movement.

It insisted that the forthcoming referendum is not about whether one is in favour or against divorce as such. It is about not imposing a particular belief upon a heterogeneous population.

“We Catholics have every right to uphold our beliefs. We have every right to speak about them. What we have no right to do is to intimidate people with retribution if they vote ‘yes’. Nor do we have the right to expect the state to impose our morality upon all its citizens. On the contrary, we are obliged not to allow this.”