Archbishop, on Malta’s first day of marriage equality, can only tweet about carobs and oranges

What’s wrong with carob and orange muffins? Or dressing your oranges with carob syrup? And what’s Archbishop Charles Scicluna’s deal about carobs and oranges, sex and marriage?

It’s barely 24 hours since the Maltese parliament voted by 66 votes to 1 to introduce marriage equality, making Malta the 15th country to legalise same-sex marriages.

"Good morning, Carob", said the Orange Tree. "Did not the Law say that we are equal? I see that you are still a Carob and I an Orange Tree". pic.twitter.com/pz10ZXKOQA

— Bishop CJ Scicluna (@BishopScicluna) July 13, 2017

But for Archbishop Charles Scicluna, the day has started with a tweet on one of the metaphors he used throughout the debate to play down the claims for equality: carobs, he said, cannot be oranges.

Today, his sarky tweet declared, the law is telling the carob that it is an orange.

“Good morning, Carob” said the Orange Tree. “Did not the Law say that we are equal? I see that you are still a Carob and I an Orange Tree.”

The Curia also issued a statement today, reiterating that it will continue to view marriage as solely between a man and a woman.

“This has always been the model of marriage of humanity itself and not merely a Christian vision,” it said. “By introducing the concept of same-sex marriage, the law is doing away with the differences and natural reciprocity between men and women, as well as with the anthropological basis of a family.

“Instead of accepting diversity, we have now imposed uniformity on the way relationships are expressed.”

The Curia also expressed concern that the gay marriage law could pave the way to the introduction of reproductive technologies such as surrogacy and gamete donation, which they warned will fly in the face of children’s dignity.

“Faced with this new reality, we will continue our work to strengthen marriages and families and will continue appreciating the many mothers and fathers who are struggling to live in accordance with their non-substitutable mission and to dedicate their lives to their children.”

People celebrate the legalisation of gay marriage in Valletta

Ahead of the vote on Wednesday, Scicluna had come out against gay marriage and urged Christians to continue teaching their children that marriage should be between a man and a woman, with children as the fruit of their love.

“They have brought us Christians to a point where we have to declare we disagree with the law of the state,” he said. “We have nothing against gay. They are human beings who have every right to expect us to respect and love them. However, we do not need to change the way in which God created marriage so that we would be able to say that two men or two women can get married.”

The Archbishop also sounded a warning against reproductive technologies used by LGBT couples to have their own children.

“This is the tragedy, that we would like to make children rather than welcome as a gift, the fruit of love of a man and a woman who are married. To us, children have become a product, the fruit of technology. When man succumbs to such temptation and allows technology to take over, he may not be strengthening his own dignity.”