'Old' versus 'new' Catholics in the Church's fight against divorce

Archbishop's spokesperson takes on interim role as public relations officer to anti-divorce movement.

The spokesperson for the Maltese archdiocese, Kevin Papagiorcopulo, has taken a month off from his office at the Curia to put his public relations skills at the service of the anti-divorce lobby group Żwieġ Bla Divorzju.

And news of a new religious movement – Kristu Iva, Divorzju Le – that will ‘crusade’ against the introduction of divorce has been met with the disapproval of Fr Joe Borg, Times blogger and university lecturer.

Papagiorcopulo’s involvement in Żwieġ Bla Divorzju may confirm something few people had any doubt about: the Maltese church’s fundamental role in supporting the main lobby against divorce.

But while the Church intensifies its involvement in Żwieġ Bla Divorzju - because the latter makes an effort to present itself a lay organisation with spokespersons who are not members of the clergy - Fr Borg speaks of Kristu Iva, Divorzju Le as a group of “nostalgic Catholics” that are also described by Archbishop Paul Cremona as “a pastoral problem for the Church”.

At the heart of the Church’s role in campaigning against the introduction of divorce, is its mission not to set up an over-zealous front. That is why people like Andre Camilleri and Arthur Galea Salomone, from the financial services world; or Joyce Cassar and entertainers Pierre Cordina and wife Mireille Bonello, embody a modern movement of Catholics who do not hail from the musty world of convents but who seek to present social arguments against divorce. 

Borg himself was a signatory of a declaration by theologians that argued that Catholics may consider voting for divorce if they “form their conscience according to God’s Word and the teaching of the Church.”

As he himself blogged in The Times, Borg said the Kristu Iva, Divorzju Le movement “builds no bridges with those good Catholics who after reflecting on Church teaching, studying the local situation and researching about the effects of divorce overseas support its introduction as the lesser of two evils” – summing up the spirit of the theologians’ declaration.

But while Borg and people like Anton Gouder, the Archbishop’s pro vicar-general, attempted to reach out to ‘good Catholics’, other Church leaders like Gozo bishop Mario Grech do not subscribe to this reasoning, going by one of his latest homilies in which he said there was “no compromise on a proper, true and sincere conscience” for Christians.

And referring to the issue of divorce, Bishop Grech said the authority that guides Christians’ conscience “doesn’t come from theologians’ opinions or socio-economic considerations, but from the Church’s ministry, and the Pope’s and his bishops’ teachings.”

So the Church itself appears divided on its political strategy of how to reach out to Catholics and Maltese voters who, going by MaltaToday’s latest survey are still undecided.

Borg himself refers to Catholics in Kristu Iva... as the backbone of Maltese Catholics’ core audience but says they are “described by Archbishop Cremona as a pastoral problem for the Church” – and their crusading spirit risks annoying people.

As Borg himself states, people may be tempted to vote for divorce because of an unjustified “fear that the Church’s position results from its desire to dominate not from a desire to serve. There are lines that should not be crossed and limits that should be respected.”

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why are you all wearing black, such dull and repulsive attire. update yourself , fundamental principles never faulter, but appraoch and ideas do evolve. The Church in Malta retained a very outdated version of social standards. dont you realise how much you are waring off believers into other updated denominations? just take off your cassock and live for a while as a layman and judge for yourself the outlook of your own clergy. yeah you will be amazed with its hypocritical appraoch and lack of compassion.
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In Malta a Church marriage has always had dual validity, both religious and civil binding. Divorce will dissolve the legal aspect of the marriage. Presently the rich and well to do can live, let us say in England for a few years and get a divorce in England. Because the courts in Malta will recognize this divorce these individuals may legally remarry in Malta. This is the definition of hypocrisy. If one does not want to practice the Catholic faith, that is entirely one's choice. Freedom of Religion is a human right. The meaning of living in a democratic and free country is not living under anyone's religious dictates.
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@mfrancis. Naqbel mieghek perfettament. Li tahraqni hi li dawn ta' ipokriti veri li huma jridu jilghabuha tal-qaddisin. Xbajt nghidilhom li biex tiskongura trid tkun pur. Sfortunament il-Knisja Kattolika tul iz-zmienijiet kienet il-boghod milli tkun pura. FUQ KOLLOX BIL-BARKA TA' GONZIPN ID-DIVORZU QIEGHED HAWN U ACCETTAT. ALLURA DAWN TAC-COQQA GHAX MA JIEHDUHIX MAL-HBIEB TAGHHOM GONZI PN U DAK LI IRNEXXIELU JGIB TLETT ANNUALMENTI GHAT-TFAL TIEGHU ? OVVJAMENT KAPPELL MA JMEJJILX LILL IEHOR U HUMA JRIDU IN-NIES LI JKUNU MJASSRA GHAX IL-POTER JIGIHOM HELU U MA JRIDUX ICCEDUH.
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duncan abela
Divorce is a civil right . All those who believe in individual liberty and a truly free democratic society steeped in modern values must vote yes period.
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employee they were 51,000 not 41,000. The following election they increased to 61,000.
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They say that a marriage cannot be dissolved. Well google about the Pauline and the Petrine Privileges.
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Quote 'Bishop Grech said the authority that guides Christians’ conscience “doesn’t come from theologians’ opinions or socio-economic considerations, but from the Church’s ministry, and the Pope’s and his bishops’ teachings.” Hehehe I wonder if Grech in gozo really knows what his idiotic taliban insinuations mean - should I follow the bishop and the pope's rigid taliban like teachings? should I try to obtain power the same way the church does? should i get political parties to kneel in front of my authority? should i develop a perverted mind and become a pedophile? should I make sure to obtain riches for the churches while knowing that these riches can really alleviate human suffering out there? should i follow the bishop and the pope's teachings that extremism should be the order of the day? Perhaps politicans do for their own end, politicians from both sides and there are the extreme few who are not whited sepulchers who do not mind revealing their feelings. If these are the teachings of the bishops and the church - then it's good thing that I don't follow them!!! If extremism is the order of the day - thank you but no thank you - i won't follow those teachings - i'm all for liberalism, secularism, human rights for minorities and also a very important things - less extremist ranting and raving and more action to help out those who are really in need!!! Until we have gold adorned empty churches - and why empty? because of the attitude of the church! Until we have a curia whose hierarchy and power come before the real 'common good', until we have an idiotic church and political party who support the common good for justifying their extremist zeal, then the gold adorned churches will be even more empty than ever before.
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chris caruana turner
In its determination to not introduce divorce, the Government, with its weak PM, was dwindled into making this issue a political one by a former, much more stronger PM. The PM's only option was to go for a referendum with the hope that the Church will contribute by crusading against the introduction of divorce, in the only way that the Church is capable of crusading. Twist and twine arguments so that they become arguments against Christ and his teachings, brainwashing its members in the process. It is true that the Church stands to loose from this attitude. People's mentality has changed. Coercing people to fit only one model is no longer applicable. Maltese society has opened itself to the world and people have resorted to their own channels through which to communicate with God. The Church, in Malta, has failed miserably, in proposing new channels how people can interact and appreciate God and his teachings. Unfortunately, the Church's authorities, are persisting in this failing path, by moving away from its duties to find ways to strengthen marriage, maybe because it is incapable of doing so, and campaigning against divorce, which is definitely a better solution for broken marriages then not having a solution at all.
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@ Tonfatso, Dawn ma jafux hajja mizzewga xi tfisser,jista jkun li xi whud minnhom marru ma mara xi darba jew ohra,u anke xi whud minnhom marru hafna drabi,pero hafna minnhom iktar jifhmu fejn jidhlu it tfal.
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Belinda Huckson
Unfortunately many loaded words are used. Love ,marriage and even divorce have different meaning to different people. Real communication is lacking because the idea behind divorce is to sell it to a culturally Catholic community. And even when one accepts the idea of empathizing with those who wish to remarry, one does not exactly know what it entails. Emotions and objectives are mixed together and the greatest issue for sufferers is to remarry not because they respect marriage ,they want a closure of marriage after all .So how can you talk of marriage as the good when sometimes you close a marriage and sometimes you want to enter it .These are frivolous arguments. Love is about loving a person as he is for himself or herself,after all one's own choice, not to be used as an object of passion or utility. The person who loves sees the good of the other person . That is why marriage is a partnership , in partners sharing their own common good. I am inclined to distrust people who cook up all kinds of arguments when they want something badly as if everybody owes it to them. There are many sad stories and these are thrown under the carpet because the ones who inflict the suffering are the ones who insist on the pound of flesh as of right. What about those who truly have rights and are under the pressure of greedy people who want everything?
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The Church should have remained out of this issue. Instead this should serve as a wake up call to its organisation and its Clergy. what is the real mission of the Church? it is shameful of its Clergy to say mass as if it is some sort of burden, others have lost touch with suffering and pains families go through. others create major issues on the way their churches are cleaned or decorated. indeed it has become a pathetic scene. no the church has to wake up to realities and return to its roots. yes Christ comes first and formost, I love the Church and will stand by her side, but dear Clergy its about time you start living up to our Saviour teachings. there are not shades of gray here its either white or black.
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Il-problema kollha qeghda fit-traduzzjoni makakka tal-Bibbja bil-Malti. Mattew 19:9 fit-traduzzjoni Maltija jipproducuha bhala"U jien nghidilkom li kull min itellaq 'il martu,hlief manhabba RABTA HAZINA, u jizzewweg ohra, jizni". Issa il-kliem RABTA HAZINA tista' taghtiha tifsiriet kemm trid. U dawn QATT ma jinterpretaw sewwa dawn iz-zewg kelmiet. U dan huwa 'l qerq. Ghax jekk inti taqra l-verzjoni bl-Ingliz, kemm il-Verzjoni St.James u kemm id-Duane issib il-kliem preciz ,"except for FORNICATION". Hawn qeghdin ikunu specifici, mhux bhal taghna li biex iqarrqu hallew il-kliem RABTA HAZINA biex jinterpretawh kif iridu. L-istess fil-verzjoni Taljana, insibu,"eccetto in caso di CONCUBINATO ", u f'verzjonijiet ohrajn il-kelma " eccetto in caso di ADULTERIO". Il-farizej ma staqsewx lil Kristu jekk kienx lectu jew le li xxolji zwieg, ghaliex ghalihom. il-possibilita' tad-divorzju kienet skontata. Id-domanda insidjuza taghhom, ("biex igarrbuh"),kienet intiza ghall-possibilita' li jxolju z-zwieg "ghal kwakunkwe mottiv". U bex tifhem sewwa 'l-mistoqsija li ghamlu lil Kristu wiehed irid ihares lejn id-discussjonijiet teologici u gjuridici tal-epoka . Ghar-Rabbi HILLEL kien lectu li tiddivorzja ghal kwalunkwe raguni. Imma ghar-Rabbi SHAMMAI kien iktar restrittiv u kien jallawdjah f'kazi ta' adulterju, incest, lesbjanizmu, bestjalita, prostituzzjoni u kull att sesswali illecitu iehor : il-famuza kelma Griega PORNEIA. U jekk inharsu lejn Id -DEWTERONOMJU Kapitlu 22:20,21,jekk ragel jizzewweg u jinduna li martu ma kinetx vergni, kien jehodha ghand missierha u jhaggruha hemm. Allahares ghadha tezisti din il-ligi ghax kieku naraw massakri kuljum !!!. Imma z-zminijiet jinbidlu. Mid-dehra l-unici li ma jinbidlux huma dawn il-qabda ipokriti li dejjem jikkwotaw biss dawn is-7 kelmiet, "Dak li ghaqqad Alla ma jifirdu hadd". Anke f'Mattew 19 wiehed ghadu HAFNA x'jixtarr, ghidlu lil Joe Borg Beirut u 'l-bella kumpannija !!. "Iktar facli li gemel jghaddi minn ghajn ta' labra milli sinjur jidhol il-genna". "U kull min ihalli djar, jew ahwa, RGIEL lew NISA,jew missier, jew omm, jew ulied, jew raba' minhabba fija jiehu mitt darba izjed u jikseb il-hajja ta' dejjem". Dun, fissrilna din ihalli RGIEL jew NISA ?. U kliem iehor li qal Kristu li jghodd hafna ghal dawn l-ipokriti," Jekk tikkorrompi xi wiehed minn dawn it-tfal ahjar torbot mazzra m'ghonqok u tintefa 'l-bahar ". Fejn tista' twassal izjed l-ipokresija ta' min jippretendi u jahseb li ghandu xi dritt divin li jirrapprezenta lil Alla f'din id-dinja. ALLA m'hu monopolju ta' HADD. U biex Alla jahfirlek m'ghandekx bzonn sensara . U biex titlob m'ghandekx bzonn tmur knejjes:"Imma int, meta titlob, idhol fil-kamra tieghek, aghlaq il-bieb u itlob 'il missierek, li qieghed fil-mohbi wkoll, u missierek, li jara mqar dak li hu mohbi, ihallsek" Mat.6:6.
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Il-qahba milli jkollha ttik. The last sentence of the article really galls me. Dear bishops we don't fear we KNOW, UNDERSTAND, ARE POSITIVE, ACCEPT, that yes the church's desire is to DOMINATE, HAVE POWER ON, INFLUENCE, COMMAND, CONTROL, DICTATE. You have no business in this matter as it is a CIVIL matter not a religious matter. Why does Fr. Joe Borg want to build bridges if he wants to deny a civili divcorce to a couple who are married civilly. Leave us alone and go save a soul or shoot the breeze on Xarabank. I find this new antidivorce group Gesu' Iva Divorzju le as obnoxious. Still I think they have evey right to campaign against divorce. Apart from the fact that they are honest true and sincere. This is what is worrying the church. This new movement is not using capitalists and PN media gurus as horses of Troy. Take bishop Grech you can say alot about him but he talks the talk that's honesty. To think that we are today commemorating Christ's Crusification. It makes me wonder why did he bother. But it all makes sense that is why Christ is God because everything he did is a lesson. His crusifiction was the greatest. During His time on earth Jesus did nothing but good, healing, rasinig the dead, preaching love and forgiveness, to help the poor. His ultimate reward a cruel, prolonged and painful death at the hands of the government and the church of the day. And on the cross with his last breath he gave his last lesson FORGIVE.
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maria aquilina
Those who are against divorce lack self confidence in themselves and in the public at large. How else could they defend their stand that with the introduction of divorce legislation their marraige and that of all others is in jeopardy. Where is love?? and by the way were there is no love there is no marraige, whether divorced or not.
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back in the 60's, the church's influence was much much stronger than today. In spite of the atrocities perpetuated then, 41,000 suldat ta l-azzar said no to religious fundamentalism, prompting an ultra right politican and the then Gonzi's mouthpiece Herbert Ganado to say that this was a victory for Malta, but a defeat for the Church! Today, the scenario has changed. How much ? the result of the referendum will tell us. I don't have high hopes, but I'm not discouraged either.
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Lil dawn lebsin l-iswed nixtieq nistaqsihom . Imma intkom x'tifhmu fuq iz-zwieg jekk intom qatt ma kontu mizzewga jew kellkom xi relazzjoni ma' mara (I hope ). Forsi l-gharef Fr Joe Borg jirrispondini.
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Should the No vote win, Malta will go on as before. But if the Yes vote wins, there will be a twofold result. The Church will continue losing support from the populace, And the Nationalist Party will discover that thousands of liberal -minded supporters have deserted it. When will the P N executive understand that the time for modern-day Savonarolas like Lawrence Gonzi and Edwin Vassallo is up ?
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Dawn ta kontra d-divorzju issa hargu filmat li qed jixxerred fuq facebook u li jghid lil jew ma Kristu jew mad-divorzju. Jien ma Kristu u mad-divorzju. Jien nemmen li Kristu huwa imhabba. Jien nemmen li Kristu ihobb lil kullhadd. Ihobb lil dawk li annullaw iz-zwieg taghhom bil knisja, ihobb lil dawk li ghax ghandhom il flus gabu d-divorzju minn barra min Mallta, ihobb lil dawk separati, ihobb lil dawk pogguti u allura nghid jien Kristu ser jaghmel eccezzjoni u ser jabbanduna lil dawk li ghandhom bzonn id-divorzju (civili) u lil dawk kollha li ser jivvutaw favur id-divorzju? Nies li ghandhom bzonn li jkinu mahbubin it-tieni darba f'hajjithom ma ghandhomx jigu mcahhda min dan id-dritt. Fejni l-imhabba lejn il proxxmu li tant priedka fuqha Kristu? Onestament qed nara l-isterizmu religjuz jerga jerfa rasu bil konsegwenzi kollha li jista jhalli fuq il Knisja f'Malta.
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How about : ' Divorzju Iva, Pedofelija Le'! Its cruel, but its true!
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I have my doubts that the Yes to divorce will win, It's going to be tough! but if the Yes will win, That does not make the majority of Maltese citizens not catholics, No. There are christian fundamentalists, there are christian practioners, and ther are the christians , and this is the most important point,"according to researchers, the majority of the ppl in the whole world(christians) belive in GOD BUT NOT IN THE CHURCH! That is the most important point. this referendum % will show the church , the maltese citizens answer. I think even if the No will get their way, still theer are going to be thousands who are against the church teachings! THAT IS A FACT WORLDWIDE! and remember if the NO will say *win* this won't stop . Things always are changing , Time changes everything. All I hope is, that the divorce law , will be kinda dificult to get!and the one who break the mariage must pay for his /her actions at court to the other part. that would be fair to compensate to the other part.
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The old men in black have to keep pushing the anti -divorce movement they know that there are still people wearing a blindfold and accepting their manipulation and brain washing! they have to have a no vote at all costs ..otherwise who is going to pay for their lifestyle cars holidays and luxury living while ordinary people have to work and pay taxes for them to keep on living in such a way!! they don't give a damn about our problems or our family's so long they have the power and the domination they had for century's over the nation, a yes vote is a huge cash problem for the church, annulments bring in the millions and the lifestyle .We need to wake up to these men in black and see them for what they are ..users.. hypocrites ..molesters..fakes..manipulative..and much more. good luck Malta on voting day hope some of you wake up from your dream state and see whats happening around you clearly.
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It is sad that the Church has not learned anything from its past mistake. The Church should have fought divorce by giving a chance through its tribunals, to broken mariiages; instead it fed its addiction to power, and played God with the conmon people , though not with the hypocritical elites. Unfortuanely, not everyone can afford the astronmical fees of 'religious' lay lawyer, running into thousands of eurso! ....and not evryone has an ear at the Curia to jump the queue and get the goodies at a fast track. These , more than anything else has harmed the Church irrovocably. The new Kristu Iva etc will add to its burdens.
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As "Just Ray" said, the result of the referendum - whatever that may be - wille stablish once and for all that Malta is no longer Catholic. So far, a majority, pehaps ... but that is all. ANyone complaining about the introduction of secularism in Malta let them look no further than Fenech Adami and Gonzi. Between them, they have done what Mintoff tried but partially succeeded. The PN is a party of clowns.
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If Borg and Gouder represent "New Catholics', God help the Catholic Church in Malta! Why do you not add Grech for good measure! The picture tells it all - a group of old men followed by young boys!
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New? new my foot! People like Fr Joe Borg - are smart enough to understand that the church is losing appeal (I mean just look at this photo) so they try to come across as rational human beings and not like some lunatics. But there is little rationality in saying you are the representative of a super being which goes by the name of 'god' on earth. come on. Leave us in peace.
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Zack Depasquale
Ergajna lura ghas-snin sittin jidher li l-knisja ma tghallmitx, Ergajna lura ghal-Gunta din id-darba iktar sottili imma tahdem l-istess. Kull m'ghamlet il-Gunta prezenti biddlet it-tattika taghha.
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Tiskanta kif dawn il-guvintur lebsin l-iswed iridu jimponu lil elf persuna mizzewga li ta' kull sena qed jisseparaw, x'ghandhom jghamlu b'hajjithom. Sa ftit taz-zmien ilu dawn kienu jbezzghuna li jekk ma- naghmdux lit-trabi u dawn imutu imorru l-limbu. Il-Papa tal-lum qalilna li l-limbu ma jezistix. Illum qed iwerwru lix-xjuh u lil 'fidili' bl-infern. Min jaf jekk l-infern ftit taz-zmien iehor hux se jkollu l-istess destin tal-limbu? Kienu jbezzghuna wkoll li min ma jkollux il-'bulettin' tal-kappillan ma jmurx il-genna. Illum spicca l-buluttin, allura hadd m'ghadu jmur il-genna? Min jaf li kieku Kristu li qabez ghal Maddalena kien fostna llum kienx jaghder u jsib soluzzjoni lil dawk l-imsieken li z-zwieg fallielhom? May your God bless you all.
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Isabelle Borg
Old and new,oppressuri Talibani kattolici.
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If the IVA for divorce gets 40 or 45% of the votes, it would simply mean that Malta is not Catholic at all. It would also mean that people baptise their children for them to look like the others. As it was just some 40 years ago that parents had to be baptise their children to exist in this country for otherwise you could not even attend government schools, get you driving licence when you are 18, get married, open a bank account and so on because while today you are asked for your ID, then in those times it was the baptism certificate that counted. The Maltese church will now have on record that people are just Catholic for the number and nothing else.
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Get the Tea Party out! I'm leaving the Island
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A divorce doesn't break down a marriage, which is already broken emotionally and so on! Stupidity really SPARKLE on this island!! So much for ''human understanding and sympathies'' how many of these people who voted against a reasonab...le divorce go to church everyday/every Sunday and PRACTICE their humanity and sympathy towards other people's liberty or right of happiness and stability?.. most of you better drop down your rosary and fake-halos and start being HUMAN.. back in the old biblical days they didn't have ANY divorce, those who claim DIVORCE is against god's writing are totally and completely manipulating the holy book's meaning! Happy Easter to All!
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I will ask the archbishops of Malta and Gozo, what if the IVA movement wins, doesn't that tell you something? What then? Will they ask the Pope to remove them because of their failure?