In his message during a Mass celebrated for members of the Moviment Zwieg bla Divorzju, Archbishop Paul Cremona O.P. said that he wished it had been possible for the Church to make a greater financial contribution in order to help the Movement inform the public regarding the negative effects of divorce: “By contributing financially to avert the introduction of divorce in our country, we have done our duty”.
The Archbishop thanked all those who, during the referendum campaign, directed their efforts towards defending marriage and the family. He said that he wished to express his appreciation to the members of the Movement and their families who, at great personal cost, laboured to communicate their message. The Archbishop explained that, although the Moviment Zwieg bla Divorzju was a secular and autonomous movement which operated independently from the Church, like the Church, its task was to communicate a message in favour of everlasting marriage.
“Throughout the referendum campaign, the Movement and the Church shared the same ideals. For this reason, the Church felt duty-bound to offer financial aid to the Moviment Zwieg bla Divorzju. We wish we were in a position to contribute in a more substantial manner. Everlasing marriage and the family are to the benefit of society and so dear to us, that no amount of financial contributions may be considered large enough in order to defend them. If our country were to remain free of divorce, then the benefits reaped would have far outweighed any amounts of money spent in order to avert its introduction”, the Archbishop stated.
Archbishop Cremona said that the Church remains duty-bound to defend marriage and the family, as it has been doing for centuries. The Church will consolidate the work it performs in favour of Maltese society, even following the referendum and the introduction of divorce. The Archbishop continued to state that the Church undertakes this task not only by investing substantially financially, but also through the contribution of hundreds of volunteers who offer their professional services within the Cana Movevment and in all the parishes by preparing couples for marriage and accompanying them throughout their married life.
“The Church closely accompanies Maltese families on their life journey. The Church is the only institution in the country which prepares couples for marriage; it offers shelter to children whose families do not provide the right environment for them to grow up in. Married couples who face problems find the support of priests and professional lay persons who work within the Church. Thousands of youth receive their formation from Church groups and movements. The Church was the first institution to offer its aid to families who pass through difficult times and also provides rehabilitation programmes for those persons who have succumbed to drugs. “Because the heart of the Church always beats in sintony with Maltese families, we have contributed financially in order to avert the introduction of divorce”, stated the Archbishop.
Archbishop Cremona once again made an appeal for society to invest further in order that there may be strong marriages and healthy families: it is the general consensus that these provide the best environment for the benefit of the couple itself, the children and ultimately for society at large.