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News • June 06 2004


Bishops’ message defended, as abortion, euthanasia are declared “non-issues” in Malta

Matthew Vella

Fr Vanni Xuereb, the President of the Curia’s Commission for the Church in Malta and Europe, the Church’s European arm, has said that although the bishops’ message broadcast last week was endorsed by other European bishops, issues such as abortion and euthanasia in Malta are in fact “non-issues.”
The Maltese bishops’ message last week called on candidates for the European Parliament elections to be in favour of values that cherish man’s life “away from abortion and euthanasia,” the recognition that marriage consists only of the mutual consent shown by the man and the women getting married, and the permanent marriage bond – references to shun homosexual unions and divorce.
In a letter to MaltaToday (see page 20), Fr Vanni Xuereb reacts to a commentary written last week in this newspaper, drawing attention to the fact that the mention of abortion in the bishops’ message only served as political fuel after the issue had been the focus of a political scare-campaign conducted by the Nationalist Party on Alternattiva Demokratika’s candidate Arnold Cassola.
The message was followed soon after by a front-page headline in the Nationalist Party organ In-Nazzjon, which read ‘Strong and solid vote in favour of life and against abortion.’
Speaking to MaltaToday, Fr Vanni Xuereb said that the issues were in fact “non-issues” for Malta, referring to abortion and euthanasia. “It is true that parties have tried to scare off voters in these elections, so why make an issue out of a non-issue? many would argue.”
However, Xuereb said, the message was based on the statement issued by the Commission of Bishops’ Conference of the EU, and which also reflected the reality of the European Parliament and resolutions which are passed in the plenary.
“This is not a message which the Maltese bishops have invented, but one which reflects other European messages. In Malta these are non-issues, but in Europe these are in fact real issues, and ones which our MEPs will be facing.
“One has to mention two resolutions which had called to have candidate countries introduction abortion, and another to assist developing countries to implement so-called safe abortion programmes. We know what happened in the case of EU Commission Joe Borg, who despite all expressed his personal opposition to abortion. The appeal was made to us as European citizens.”
In his letter to MaltaToday, Fr Vanni Xuereb defended the bishops’ message saying the Maltese bishops were exercising a constitutionally-enshrined right, and that was their duty as pastors of the Church.

matthew@newsworksltd.com

 

 

 

 

 





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