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The central message of the Archbishop’s homily during the Independence Day mass cannot pass without editorial comment. He referred to Europe as being ‘morally and spiritually sick’ and highlighted the damage caused to children when both parents work. With respect to the Archbishop we fail to agree.
Modern European democracies are based on the neat separation between church and state. This separation of powers was the rallying call of the French revolution, 300 years ago. So entrenched and culturally ingrained is this division of power that all of us cringe at the excesses of countries run by theocracies. These systems of government by priests or a priestly class where the laws of the state are believed to be the laws of God have led to excesses, disrespect towards minorities and hold women in low esteem.
Europe on the other hand has been a leading progressive light. We fail to understand why the Archbishop puts modern lifestyles in the same basket. It is unfair to equate cohabitation with abortion. When our country debated entry into the European Union, we were all fully conscious that such lifestyles exist in Europe but we were also fully aware that legislative powers lie in the hands of local governments to decide whether to legalise or not. We fully respect the right and indeed the obligation of the archbishop to express his opinion and make use of all his powers of moral persuasion but his grace must realise that there are many non-practising Catholics and indeed non-Catholics living in Malta whose rights should also be safeguarded and protected. They too have a right to insist on a strict separation between church and state and to the enjoyment of their lifestyle of choice.
As a minimum, we certainly agree that, with the exception of abortion such lifestyles should be included in the political agenda. Their eventual legalisation should not qualify us as morally and spiritually sick but as citizens living in a country where the value of choice is recognised. People can freely agree whatever choices they voluntarily want to make. The Archbishop is right to insist that practising Catholics do not approach their faith with an à la carte mentality but all of us must respect other people’s choices and this should not be undermined. People not adhering to living strict Catholic principles should certainly not be considered as sick but viewed equally as citizens making free choices.
The Archbishop’s concern over working mothers flies in the face of all modern European Union resolutions and the local government’s campaigns for women to enter the market place. Our country, no differently from other European countries, needs to incentivise mothers to go out and work. This will ease the financial pressures on the country’s finances. Neither is it completely correct to state that mothers are working simply to meet the family debts. This is disrespectful to modern mothers, many of whom go out to work to feel self-fulfilled. This government has run many a campaign addressed towards women in the hope that they can be encouraged to work.
Our country has the lowest number of women at work and this is a matter for concern.
We would most respectfully direct the Archbishop’s attention to other areas where our country is indeed morally and spiritually sick. The blatant misuse of public funds, the obscenities of property speculation, the lack of a work ethic and drugs peddling. These are the real scourges of modern societies including our own. These abuses are indeed what risks qualifying us as sick society.
If we really want to overcome the malaise in our society its time we started focusing on building a society on the values of meritocracy and doing away with the blatant networks that eat away at any chance of creating a fair society based on equality of opportunity and a sense of fairness where all can thrive irrespectively of their political affiliations and social background. A society where citizens can also decide on the lifestyle they want to live.
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