Pro-divorce lobby to file constitutional case against BA censorship of Mgr Vella clips

WATCH: Full clip of Mgr Charles Vella interview with Norman Hamilton on 'Bla Agenda' last March

The pro-divorce lobby is set to seek Constitutional redress from the Broadcasting Authority for censoring a promotional TV clip that reproduced public remarks delivered by Mgr. Charles Vella, the founder of the Cana movement.

The case will be filed next Monday and will insist that BA re-instate the TV clip, that is “factual and faithful” to what was said by Mgr. Vella in a televised interview with presenter Norman Hamilton on One TV last March.

Nationalist MP Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando and PL MP Evarist Bartolo – both co-sponsors of the divorce bill – denounced the BA’s decision to censor the TV clip.

Both stressed that the IVA movement were previously given the go ahead by the BA to broadcast the clip, after obtaining approval from Norman Hamilton and One TV, who hold the rights to the interview.

Pullicino Orlando said that the BA simply withdrew the TV clip after receiving a written compliant by lawyer Robert Tufigno – an activist within the no camp – on behalf of Mgr. Vella, who claimed that his client did not approve of his comments being rebroadcasted.

The TV spot that was censored by the Broadcasting Authority

“ It is obvious that somebody is pulling the strings here, because it is ridiculous that what is already out in the public domain gets censored by the BA because who said them now needs to grant permission. What would have happened in a general election and one party used a public statement by the Prime Minister, a minister, a politician or whoever? It would be absolute chaos and madness,” Evarist Bartolo said.

Nationalist MP Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando denounced what he described as a “hijack” of national institutions by the establishment in a bid to manipulate public opinion, and to deliberately disadvantage the pro-divorce lobby.

"This week we have seen how the Children's Commissioner has deliberately distorted a national report, we have seen the electoral commission play about granting permission to IVA movement representatives to follow counting hall procedures, and now the Broadcasting Authority is ridiculously censoring what is already in the public domain,” he said.

“What is happening now is what I have fought against as a PN activist during the 1980’s and it is shameful that we are going back to the 1980’s,” The PN MP charged.

Pullicino Orlando stressed that a number of clergymen are helping the pro-divorce lobby, but he denounced, these members of the clergy are being forced to work secretly, and are coming under extreme pressures.

The pro-divorce lobby stressed that what Mgr. Vella said in his interview that was aired on One TV last March is more than relevant to the ongoing national debate about the introduction of divorce.

“I can say that a good part of my inspiration to move the Private Member’s Bill followed what I heard from Mgr. Vella during his interview,” Pullicino Orlando said.

The pro-divorce lobby stressed that Mgr. Vella’s remarks were faithfully reproduced.

In his interview on One TV, Mgr Vella stressed that as the founder of the Cana Movement, he feels comfortable to say that he is not afraid of divorce.

“Divorce doesn’t scare me. It is a fact that Catholic marriages did not finish because divorce was introduced. I say this with a hand on my conscience. I am the founder of the Cana Movement and I would die to save marriage, but I cannot shut my eyes to those couples who seek me because they are suffering. We must take care of them too, because they are part of Christ’s Church, even if they are divorced or separated.

“We cannot continue to be scared. 230 separated couples have gone abroad and obtained a divorce, and that divorce is recognised. Then there is the issue of cohabitation and children’s rights. It is untrue that children’s rights are safeguarded.

“There are plenty of rights these children do not have. One of them is when at school they say that their parents are not recognised by the State. These are children like all the others, there is no second or third class children.”

Mgr. Vella ended by insisting on the importance of a clear distinction between Church and State.