Alternattiva Demokratika rubbishes No movement’s ‘divorce theory’

the introduction of divorce will see the rate of marriage shoot up in Malta, given the thousands of ppl who have been waiting for years (decades?)to formalise their relationship (with second partner). Ironic isn't it?

Where Church and state are intertwined This microstate off the coast of Sicily may well have more concordats per head than any other country in the world. Its history explains this. In 1530 the islands were given to the Knights of Malta in perpetual fiefdom in exchange for an annual fee of a single Maltese falcon. A century later the Grand Master of the Knights of Malta was awarded equality with a cardinal. He was henceforth addressed not just as "Your Majesty", like a king or "Your Eminence" like a cardinal, but as "Your Most Eminent Highness" — a title which showed the seamless unity of church and state in Malta. Even today, church and state are intertwined: Catholicism is the state religion (as it is in three other tiny European states: Lichtenstein, Monaco and San Marino). Malta's Constitution enshrines this in Article 2: 1.The religion of Malta is the Roman Catholic Apostolic Religion. 2.The authorities of the Roman Catholic Apostolic Church have the duty and the right to teach which principles are right and which are wrong. 3.Religious teaching of the Roman Catholic Apostolic Faith shall be provided in all State schools as part of compulsory education. In accordance with this, Malta secured an exemption when it joined the European Union (Protocol 7) in order to maintain its absolute ban on abortion. The state also enforces Church policies on marriage: in Malta divorce is not allowed. A Maltese journalist describes the situation: Separation breaks the marriage. Marriage can be created again through divorce. In Malta this is not allowed. [...] It is a baffling and hypocritical situation, which is forcing people to live together without marrying. [...] If your marriage does not work the first time, you are relegated to second-class citizen status where you can never marry again [...] Now, if the Church does not want to allow divorce, that is its right. But why is the government mirroring the Church? [1] For the papal visit of 17-18 April 2010 a large stage was constructed whose symbolism was described by the architect as follows: The Cross is at the centre, representing Jesus, the Pope to the side, is His representative on earth, and this is all leading to bringing Christ to the Maltese, represented by the President. [2] Notes 1. Marisa Micallef, "Tackling the divorce issue", The Malta Independent, 22 January 2007. http://www.independent.com.mt/news.asp?newsitemid=45131 2. Architect Joe Bondin quoted in "Papal visit to cost around €750,000", Times of Malta, 24 March 2010. http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20100324/local/papal-visit-to-cost-around-euro-750-000

I note with some comic incredulity the comments of Maltese President George Abela on the Pope’s recent visit to the country; a visit that has been dogged by allegations of Church abuse cover ups in the small island nation. Mr Abela said that Malta, like the rest of the Western world, faced a conflict between Christianity and secularism. "This profane character which has developed in some European states is driving people to be laicist or even anti-Christian," he said. He argued that "the moral foundations of a society as a whole, comprising believers, agnostics or atheists" were "better served not with the falling away from religion but with the reinvigoration of the moral consciousness of the state". I’m sick to death of being told that the Church is somehow the moral compass or consciousness of the state. I don’t know about anyone else, but my moral consciousness says that if a priest has been sexually abusing vulnerable children in a Maltese orphanage, it’s right and good to hand him over to the authorities and have him subject to the full force of the law. The Church’s moral compass, on the other hand, points in a rather different direction. A direction that at a local level involves moving said priest on to a new parish to abuse more innocent victims while bullying his previous victims into staying quiet – and at a higher level involves a huge, orchestrated international cover-up of thousands of similar cases. Mr Abela might think secularism is profane, but for me profane is shielding, aiding and abetting hundreds of paedophiles in their vile crimes – something secularists don’t have a reputation for. http://www.secularism.org.uk/letters-to-newsline10.html

The Pro’s of Divorce What are the positive fallouts of divorce? We all know the painful parts of divorce but there are definite gifts that come with a divorce. It is hard to see those gifts in the early stages of divorce recovery but they are there waiting to emerge. Just ask any women who has gone on to create a new life after divorce and she will tell you how much she has grown and come into her own now that her divorce is behind her. Stepping out of the safety of the familiar is scary but here are 13 pro’s of divorce: 1.A home that is not filled with constant envision and anxiety. 2.Deep lessons that have resulted in amazing personal growth with new found confidence and self-esteem. 3.A new sense of self with a reconnection to your strengths and talents. 4.The special knowledge that comes with having survived a major life transition: wisdom. 5.A new life that is centered on what is important to you, to what you value. 6.The clarification of your passions and the ability to create a life based on those passions. 7.The realization that a crisis in life creates an opening for change that you might not have ever had. 8.A new career. 9.The freedom to do what you want when you want to do it. 10.Better relationships with your children. 11.The healing of old emotional wounds that emerge during divorce which gives you a new found freedom to create whatever you want in your life. 12.Peace of mind. 13.Retrieval of your power with the loss of victim-hood.

tereza etc...... do not forget that we are all in the same world. you have the right to say no, but as you said you have kids, so you dont know what will happen in the future. we are ubject to everything ,even if we dont want to accept it. besides, dont point your finger to sepearted ppl, you do not know their stories, everyone have his story, includes you,sometimes, we have things around and upon us that we dont even know we have ;-) so just face reality: if a man wanst to leave his woman or a woman wants to leave her man, who will hold the? NOONE! so with a divorce law or no still same. with a divorce law at least they will be regulated. it will change nothing the divorce law- no and you know why? CAUSE IF YOUR MAN OR YOUR WIFE WANTS TO LEAVE YOU , STILL SHE/HE WILL LEAVE YOU ! LIKE MANY HERE THAT ALLREADY HAVE DONE IT. DONT THINK THAT YOU OR OUR BELOVED CHILDREN ARE EXCLUDED THESE things can happen to all at anytime in our life even when we THINK all is ok CAUSE HUMANS KNOWS HOW TO LIE

Minnkejja l-hafna argumenti (xi whud validi) favur id-divorzju jibqa l-fatt li d-dhul tad-divorzju jibdel it-tifsira taz-zwieg. Din hija il-kwistjoni kollha. Hemm bzonn nirriflettu fuq dan.

Teresa I'm afraid your thinking is all muddled up with no logic. In your own words your children are already living in a society where "people are imposing their abnormal lifestyle on the rest of us" because we already have separated people by the thousands. If that is your only argument against divorce I advise you to think again and come up with something a little more convincing.

In Malta religious marriage is definitely more than just signing a simple contract. Some food for though is that in Malta there is an agreement between the state and the church. When one gets a religious marriage in Malta as things stand today one is signing away his/her basic rights and is leaving his marriage to be adjudicated by the ecclesiastical tribunal. This is regulated by ‘concordats’ that perhaps couples going for a religious marriage are not aware of. “Agreement between the Apostolic Seat [Holy See] and the Republic of Malta on the Recognition of Civil Effects of Canonical Marriage and on the Judgments of Ecclesiastical Authorities and Tribunals Concerning the Marriage Bond” One should lookup: http://www.concordatwatch.eu/showtopic.php?org_id=13541&kb_header_id=35141

Dak dibattitu! Dik tolleranza! "Rubbishes" - possibilment ittiehdu mil marda ta certu intelletwali tal habba gozz! Andrew Farrugia.

Bhal dak li qallu ma xebghax iddahhaqna is-sur Briguglio! Andrew Farrugia

Teresa, how does divorce affect marriages??

Yvonne Arqueros Ebejer marriage is not JUST a contract. It is also a covenant. This is more than a useless contract.

I don't want my kids Se growing up in a Malta were marriage is just a contract with no meaning. Seperated people are imposing their abnormal lifestyle on the rest of us. That is why I say no.

he can reject the pro marriage movement all he wants. It will not chnage the fact that marriages are weakend by divorce

Briguglio stressed that “no one should impose a particular lifestyle on someone else.” so it is okay for Briguglio to impose an immoral way of life on society but not OK in his mind for society to want an moral norm/ Divorce not only affects the people who want a divorce but it affects marriages as a whole and dimishes all marriages.

who is against a divorce law is an ignorant and a fool- i will not hold back my words(try to be polite here) whoa re these people , to try to impone thier ridiculous beliefs unto others? if they are happily married, why don't they just shut the f&ck up! and leave others lives thier lives> who do you think you are, you are just a bunch of hypocrites! REMMEBER WHAT GOES AROUND COMES AROUND, don't think that you will not be touched by these realities , if not you your children or your grand children- THAN YOU WILL EAT ALL YOUR WORDS AND FEEL SORRY! ANYWAYS DON'T YOU KNOW THOUSANDS OF SEPERATIONS ARE HERE WITH MANY OF THEM WITH NEW FAMILIES KIDS ETC .. are you living underground or what? we must have all the human rights that other EU member states have - gay rights divorce laws, iopen your eyes they are your brothers or your sisters or could be your children or grandchildren. take an example a rich person will get divorce simple by going abroad- SO WHY NO TO THE COMMON PEOPLE? or another example: COMMON PEOPLE ARE NOT LIKE THE 3 CHILDREN OF EMERITUS EDWARD EDDIE FENECH ADAMI , who is a greta friend of the holy see (vatican) whom his children got 3 MARRIAGE ANNULMENTS so you see , things are not the same to all ,so shut the f8ck up- still the people will live their life as they want to just regulate the laws dr.lawrence gonzi !

the introduction of divorce will see the rate of marriage shoot up in Malta, given the thousands of ppl who have been waiting for years (decades?)to formalise their relationship (with second partner). Ironic isn't it?

This divorce issue turned into the usual Maltese farce. Indeed we are the laughing stock of the European Union. Divorce is an individual right so neither an individual nor an authority/institution can bar me from obtaining it. For all those claiming that the latter will result in more marriage breakdown need to wake up to realise that we are in 2011 and not in the 1960s. Some of the instances contributing to marriage breakdown are the high cost of living, Electricity tariffs which are alarmingly high, few leisure time for couples/family and an ever increasing society which has not any values.