It was always interesting to try to predict how the debate of the divorce referendum was to develop. This has been a test for the Maltese Catholic Church, a test by those who are on the fringes and who were having second thoughts as to whether they should bother with the local Church or not.

Unfortunately, the local Church seems to be dominated by extreme fundamentalists, and instead of practising what Christ has set by example, has done the exact opposite. There has been nothing Catholic from the ‘No’ camp – Church alliance, just a medieval crusade against the “infidels”. The campaign has only satisfied those who do not see the woods from the trees, further deluding those who want the Church to be a true leader in practising the word of the Lord – love, forgiveness, charity, empathy, solidarity. This campaign has shown that the Church is still dominated by people who claim they have the right to act as God’s loudspeaker, beat on their chests, but their actions and words give them away with those who want to see true humility and respect for others.

I am convinced that if one removes all the fear that has been implanted by the local Church into to hearts of ordinary Catholics, and if these people truly bother to listen to their conscience and compare this to the actions and deeds of Jesus Christ, then they will have no doubt as to how to vote in the forthcoming referendum – ‘Yes’, to change of a stagnated medieval system which permits families to be destroyed but not to be reformed, ‘Yes’ to helping those in need of our support, even if they are a minority, and finally ‘Yes’ to giving a big message to the Church that it has to change its attitude. Unless it practises what it preaches to be the word of the Lord, it will continue to do a disservice to all in Malta.

■ Vincent Magri

Naxxar