Archbishop Paul Cremona OP spoke on the adverse effects as a result of marriage breakdowns. The Archbishop spoke during a national conference which focused on the theme ‘Towards a Stronger Marriage’. The main speakers of this conference were Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi and his wife, Kate Gonzi, and the Leader of the Opposition Joseph Muscat and his wife, Michelle Muscat. The conference was organised by Proġett Impenn.
Archbishop Cremona said that he was disappointed that no concrete proposals were made on how the state could find ways of strengthening marriage, especially when the current cultural and social realities are facing a thorough change. Marital breakdowns he said, have given rise to newer problems for society and families to tackle. The Archbishop emphasised that though the Church had devoted lots of its time and energy to this sector, this was not enough. His Grace spoke about the importance of equality in marriage and on both sides being well prepared on the new journey they are about to start.
Archbishop Cremona asked whether the issue of sex before marriage had become a major alienation for youth, especially if this is affecting relationships in the long run. On the issue of divorce, the Archbishop admitted that despite this being an important topic to discuss, one should realise that when weighing the effects it brought about in other countries, new problems were created and not solved. He concluded by saying that both parents and teachers should do their best to pass on strong values, especially at an early stage in the children’s’ lives.
Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi, stated that first and foremost one must strengthen marriage, rather than address marital problems in that same marriage. The Prime Minister emphasized that values should be mirrored in our decisions. He went on by saying that couples must always keep in mind their marriage vows, especially that of eternal loyalty. Prime Minister Gonzi said that when faced with marital problems one must discuss divorce, but the emphasis should remain at all costs on how to save marriages. Education, he said, plays an important role in this regard, and this should be a subject tackled from the early stages of education. Dr Gonzi addressed the problem of cohabitation, which up till now is still not regulated by law, thus threatening the most vulnerable. The Prime Minister however asserted that no law can strengthen marriage more than the commitment devoted by both sides.
Opposition Leader Dr Joseph Muscat dedicated most of his speech on the marital problems and the importance of tackling such issues immediately. The Opposition leader quoted a recent study taken from ‘Discern’ statistics, which showed that, when compared, figures from statistics of 25 years ago have thoroughly changed from those of 5 years ago, since broken families have increased drastically. Dr Muscat said that Malta has to take a more clear position on this delicate matter, especially because, in his opinion everyone has to be given a second opportunity. According to Dr Muscat a couple can still get divorced, even though this is not allowed in Malta. Dr Muscat proposed the idea of a national forum which would tackle this issue, but not simply to take on divorce issues but also to strengthen marriage, where NGOs, legal and Ecclesiastical authorities are represented. This, he said, should be done in order to target the current situation in Malta, since these matters are only tacked by the Cana movement, a Church run organisation.
In their addresses, Ms Gonzi and Ms Muscat addressed the importance of being well prepared for marriage, especially on matters such as understanding one another, spending quality time together and finding a balance between work and family. They both spoke on how the State can be of help to those couples who are going through marital problems.
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