Whatever we Catholics believe, we do so freely and willingly. God exerts no coercion whatsoever upon us. It is only right and just to allow the same freedom of choice to others who believe otherwise.

We Catholics are convinced of the good of our position regarding marriage, the family and indissolubility; most of us refuse divorce. We believe that such a position is also good for others who are not Catholics.

However, this does not mean that we can expect non-Catholics to accept our position against their will or to force this position upon them through government structures.

The marriage law in Malta does precisely this. It forces the Catholic position upon the whole population.

It coerces one and all to abide by what we Catholics accept freely and willingly.

We Catholics cannot accept this situation, and in next Saturday’s referendum we can express this by voting “Yes”.

Our Lord Jesus Christ never forced himself upon anyone. Though we Catholics believe that the universal good which we freely accepted binds all men and women in conscience, in no way whatsoever can this mean that we can expect them to embrace the good against their free will.

“Jesus bore witness to the truth,” Vatican Council II tells us (Dignitatis humanae, 11), “but He refused to impose the truth by force on those who spoke against it. Not by force of blows does His rule assert its claims. It is established by witnessing to the truth and by hearing the truth, and it extends its dominion by the love whereby Christ, lifted up on the cross, draws all men to Himself.”

However wholesome our belief in marriage, the family and indissolubility is, whatever our regard of divorce, as catholics it is our duty before god and our Lord Jesus Christ to vote “yes” in next Saturday’s referendum.

■ Carmel Hili

Kattolici – Iva ghax dritt