For some reason, the debate on the civil unions bill, was not concluded before the Christmas recess by the House of Representatives. The second reading stage has been concluded and the next stage, presumably in the coming weeks, will be that at committee stage.

But meanwhile, the public discussion has been rekindled anew with news reports around the world regarding what the Pope told Bishop Charles Scicluna on the civil union bill at a meeting held last month.

Bishop Scicluna has been interviewed by the Italian Catholic paper L’Avvenire and also by the (UK) Sunday Times. In Malta, the response has been vociferous as can be seen by the red-hot replies on comment fora.

In his interview with L’Avvenire, Bishop Scicluna referred to a document by the Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith issued in 2003 entitled “Considerations regarding the legal recognition of unions between homosexual persons”.

In paragraph 10, in particular, there is written: “If all faithful are bound to oppose the legal recognition of homosexual unions, Catholic politicians are even more so, according to their own proper responsibility. Faced with bills in favour of homosexual unions, they must keep in mind the following ethical indications. Where for the first time a Legislative Assembly is faced with a draft bill in favour of the legal recognition of homosexual unions, a Catholic MP has the moral duty to express, clearly and publicly, his disapproval and vote against the draft bill. To concede one’s vote in favour of a draft bill so hurtful to the common good of society is an act that is gravely immoral.”

Although a vote has already been taken in the House of Representatives on the second reading, the next stage, the Committee stage, will be the crucial phase where MPs can propose amendments to the bill.

Although in his comments to L’Avvenire, Bishop Scicluna seemed to lump PL and PN together as regards the pre-electoral promises and commitments, it is known that the Opposition will insist on a clear distinction being made between gay unions and marriage and a studied rather than a headlong rush to gay adoptions.

On the other hand, while some on both sides have pointed out the autonomy of  legislators in the drafting of laws, Prime Minister Joseph Muscat has been reported as having ruled out a free vote to his MPs.

In the midst of all this, the country needs to tackle the issue with a greater sense of maturity than has been shown so far. This also regards the various interpretations of the Pope’s words.

Pope Francis has taken another step toward making the Catholic Church more inclusive by telling priests to rethink how they reach out to the children of gay and separated parents. But the Vatican warned on Sunday against reading too much into the remarks.

"How can we proclaim Christ to a generation that is changing? We must be careful not to administer a vaccine against faith to them,” Francis told around 120 leaders of male religious orders during a meeting at the Vatican.

"I remember the case of a very sad little girl who finally confided to her teacher the reason for her state of mind: 'My mother's girlfriend doesn't like me,' " Francis said.

Francis' remarks, which he made November 29, were reported on Friday by La Civilta Cattolica, an Italian Jesuit magazine.

"The percentage of children studying in schools who have separated parents is very high," Francis said. "The situation in which we live now provides us with new challenges which sometimes are difficult to understand."

The pope received praise from gay-rights groups in July when he said, "If someone is gay and seeks the Lord with good will, who am I to judge?"

His latest remarks were interpreted by some Italian commentators as an opening to homosexual unions, in a week when Matteo Renzi, the new leader of Italy’s center-left Democratic Party, has relaunched the idea of legislation allowing civil unions, including same-sex unions, in Italy.

Plans for civil unions in Italy have repeatedly been shot down by Catholic politicians.

On Sunday, the Vatican indicated that Francis’ comments were more about reaching out to a changing society than giving it a stamp of approval.

“Speaking of an ‘opening to gay couples’ is paradoxical because the pope’s speech was totally general and because even the small concrete example given by the Pope (a girl who is sad because her mother’s girlfriend doesn’t love her) alludes directly to the suffering of the children,” Vatican spokesman Father Federico Lombardi told Vatican Radio.