‘Malta a confessional state to all intents and purposes’ – David Friggieri

Friggieri was speaking during a debate organised on Saturday by Alternattiva Demokratika which tackled various aspects of the divorce issue. Friggieri said that Catholic countries took longer to introduce divorce than other countries, such as Scotland and the federation of German states, which introduced divorce in 1794 and 1875 respectively.

He said that in Catholic countries, the introduction of divorce was a only possible after “a long political, constitutional, and social, process.” He said the introduction of divorce in Spain only came however after the state religion was abolished.

“We can give all the social and psychological reasons against the introduction of divorce which however can apply to all of the world,” he said. “But the issue is purely and political and constitutional one.”

He said that Malta is in a situation “where the dominating voice is catholic, and where Catholicism is also entrenched in the constitution.”  He added that until Malta moves away from being “a confessional state to all intents and purposes”, the introduction of divorce will not happen.

He also drew attention to the ‘power’ of local anti-divorce networks not only in the sense that the Church is concurrently militating against divorce, but even insofar as the Moviment Zwieg Bla Divorzju is fronted by people in powerful places of authority.

Lobby front-man Andre Camilleri is deputy Chairman of the Malta Financial Services Authority, while fellow anti-divorce proponent Arthur Galea Salomone is the chairman of the Malta Stock Exchange.

Also speaking during the divorce, Maltese Confederation of Women's Organisations chairperson Renee Laiviera said that the debate is not tackling a wide swath of issues which directly affect women.

She referred to issues such as how women are afraid of the instability that divorce brings, and how they are especially vulnerable to marital break-up because society does not encourage them to be independent and financially self-sufficient.

AD chairperson Michael Brigulio said the no-lobby insists on referring to a “golden age” of married life that never existed. “We are not longer living in the middle ages where everyone has to respect certain structures like it or not. People today have much moiré freedom to lead their own lives and make their own choices.”

“Obviously everyone who marries hopes their marriage will last, but sadly some don’t. We either recognise this reality, or keep denying it. The no-camp is trying its hardest to not recognise this reality,” he said.