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Seven hundred children born yearly outside wedlock, alarmingly high number of separated couples, increasing cohabiting couples, childless married couples seeking IVF treatment, sex changes and openly declared gay couples, all point to a changing Maltese society. The very social fabric and the lifestyles of many Maltese are fast changing. The times indeed they are changing. Malta too is experiencing the sexual revolution.
It is a fact that these changes are moving ahead of the law and all too often our parliamentary lawmakers seem to be at best oblivious to these changes and at worst totally uncaring to the plight of many a citizen.
The time has come for these changing lifestyles to be discussed and where necessary for our laws to be changed to give these people the social peace of mind and the tranquillity they seek. These people too deserve the compassion and the understanding of society. Our laws presently do not cater for their plight and seems to be ignoring totally their social status. This needs redressing since people’s life styles seem to be way ahead of the law.
The political class in the country seems to be unable to come to terms with this reality. These issues seem to have been placed on the political backburner left to hopefully blow away. Nothing could be further from reality, the number of children born out of wedlock will grow, cohabiting couples will increase, separations will increase and the gay culture will come out more into the open. The political classes’ indifference will simply not remove these issues from peoples concerns. They need to be tackled. Politics is also about addressing people’s concerns
The process to tackle these matters in a humane way is first of all to recognise the necessity for a clear division between church and state and the autonomy in which both are to operate, supreme in their respective spheres. Religious matters are the prerogative of the church while matters of state are to be dealt with by the state in a fully autonomous manner. The church is fully entitled to its teachings and beliefs and fully correct in expecting practising Catholics to abide by all and not just some of its teachings. It should and does show the way. However, the state has its obligations and its duties towards all its citizens including those who do not practice the catholic faith, and these too deserve recognition.
This reality has been recognised when the state legalised civil marriages. The separation of church and state is the hallmark of modern European societies, both autonomous in their own fields. This leader feels that the political class is simply unwilling and unable or most especially fearful of recognising this church-state division in its entirety. They simply are unwilling to give secularisation its rightful recognition with all the social consequences this carries.
People are quietly suffering, feeling unrecognised and deprived of a second chance in life. It’s time to come to terms with these social realities. Our society turns a blind eye to cohabitation, yet it leaves persons living together totally unprotected legally. Our society refuses to legalise divorce yet allows wealthier couples to get divorced overseas and have their divorce recognised in Malta. Couples unable to have children desperately attempt IVF treatment yet the authorities are considering restrictive legislation on this matter. Worse still they are told it is not a right to have children.
Gay couples are accepted yet their legal relationship is not sanctioned in the law. A cohabiting couple may be refused into the ITU hospital ward after her or his partner has had a fatal accident simply because their partnership has not been sanctioned in marriage. These all point to a society lacking in humanity and compassion.
To many a couple and individual entering Europe was their beacon of hope. They enthusiastically endorsed the European project with great expectations. They believed Europe would bring a secular wave into the country and create a more liberal and compassionate society. Their dreams and hopes are fast fading as they see a government trying to export Malta to Europe rather than endorsing European values into Malta.
These issues which directly affect peoples’ lives risk becoming major issues at the next general election. No it is not just the economy or the immigration crisis, stupid, it is also peoples’ rights to live a European way of life characterised by the values of tolerance, diversity and compassion.
These issues are a major concern especially in our fast growing individualistic society. Solidarity also means recognising the lifestyle people choose to live. Issues such as cohabitation rights, divorce, and gay marriages cannot for much longer be kept under the carpet. They must be placed on the political agenda, discussed openly in a fully transparent manner. People experiencing such difficulties and people with a liberal outlook feel politically homeless. It’s time for the political class to act.
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