Couple to wed in local council office

Way to go...................the whole universe is not Catholic and other couples who are culturally, morally and intellectually as endowed as Catholics have a right to make a choice as to where they would like to be married. As far as annullments are concerned, most of the time, it is a choice primarily motivated by social acceptance and the religious right to remarry. Deep down, negating the marriage in the first place, I am not sure what the legal or moral implications are for the offspring born of that marriage, namely a marriage that never took place, and all other complications for appearances' sake is hypocritical to say the least.

It's disturbing to see how some people seem to be implying that without divorce, civil marriages are less valid. It's as if, with a civil marriage you should be allowed to fail.

This holier than thou government is painting itself into a corner. On the one hand it wants to keep malta more Catholic than the Vatican. On the other hand it promotes multiculturalism as a desirable thing.

If you are going to accept and indeed encourage different cultures and religions you have to be prepared to respect them and allow their members to live according to their beliefs.

In this case, the marriage (I assume) was between not a Catholic one. At least one spouse is Muslim. Islam allows not only divorce but also polygamy.

There is also a growing number of Maltese Muslim families. Will they be denied the right to live according to their religion?

And we cannot have a situation where some Maltese citizens will have the right to divorce and polygamy and others not. How will the welfare state address polygamy vis a vis social benefits?

The problem cannot be swept under the carpet any longer.

@ Paul Borg

Breast feeding is not seen as antiquated in the West. On the contrary, it is seen as desirable and many believe that it innoculates children against germs and strengthens the baby's immune system. Many young mothers are returning to it. Just wait a few years and the trend will reach Malta. Before long you'll no doubt be railing at the sight of young mothers breast feeding in public places, lol

@ L Aquilina
I think you have just summed up why most marriages in Malta take place in churches. Its nothing to do with faith or religious beliefs. Its everything to do with appearances and social conformity.

I think government and religion should be kept strictly apart with no interference whatsoever. The church is against abortion and divorce but there are many other things the church is against - sex, condoms, work on Sunday etc. etc. etc.

Can anyone tell me why the government takes certain things like divorce and adapts it to official Vatican policy but other things are accepted. Wouldn´t be a big problem to make condoms illegal, the pill, all work on sunday, sexy underwear, semi nude advertisement etc. etc. etc. the list ist endless.

It´s really time to stop the bullshit and allow people to live their life according to what they belive in. The marriage might be a big issue to the church, the holy union between man and woman but face it - not everybody belives in God.

If you are religios and belive in god - go ahead and be angry with your peers who belive in the same thing if their marriage fails but leave the rest of us alone.

@ Aldo Cauchi Savona
What I disagreed with in your first post was that your words seemed to imply that since many church-sanctioned marriages fail then the church should do an internal examination ('The majority of poeple that have marriage problems married through the church so maybe the church should look within itself to see why marriages they have ordained to be sacrosanct and ordained by God are failing'). Once again I hope you are not implying that it is the Church's fault that marriages fall apart! Please correct me if I misunderstood.

What is so creative about getting married in a local council?? Give me the beauty of our heritage and culture anyday and that certainly abounds in our outsdanding churches!! Just a matter of opinion. At the end of the day, each one to his own

As a Catholic person, I prefer marriage in church, but I don't condemn anyone who opts for a different way... For let's face it, if a couple doesn't really believe in God, why should it marry in Church? Have we forgotten the meaning of marriage in Church? It's a sacrament to be respected. It's a marriage between three: the bride, the groom and God, for God would be witnessing that union. What's better to do? Marry in Church and lead a non-chalance way of married life, ridiculing the sacrament?

@charles grech. i can see your point, but leaving religion out of the issue, does our country's economy afford divorce? what i would see as a better solution is that the Church makes annulment procedure faster, and allow for a wider range of circumstances on which it could be granted.

@H Gatt
The article and comments are about the local phenomenon of martial problems. The news article is about state marriage not abuse. However, since you bring up the issue of violence and abuse, there are many well know cases when even with suffcient evidence to show there was physiscal abuse or violence the church refused annulment.

Why are some people here making such a big deal? Civil weddings have been around for decades. The only difference is that this time, the person officiating is a Mayor and not someone from the Public Registry.

For me its a one step a head into the present generation. Another step should be divorce.

Many people are separating and yet they are being denied to rebuild a new legal life in front of the society. Unfortunately the decisions about divorce are not take by the victims of the situation. Many times we have one of the partners in separations who is the victim of the circumstances but instead we are finding assistance, these people are being nailed by the society if they start a relationship and will not be supported or recognised with any legal rights. Why?

I do not believe much in unnulment because I believe that in the point of getting married both partners where knowing what they were doing. But people change, and and if we accept that people may change during years as we experienced people changing religion, politics and now even gender, how come we cannot accept that a marriage which was valid years ago is not functioning anymore?

If who is reading my comment is one of the victims, will understand what I mean.

@Aldo
Well Said!

It's a pity this country is blinded by Religion. Tolerance it seems is not in a Catholic's vocabulary!

@ Aldo Cauchi Savona
Of course, those who are reasonable understand and accept the fact that there are others in this world who are not Catholic. Besides, as Ina Cassar pointed out correctly in an earlier post, no one is obliged to have a Church marriage. It is a matter of choice.
As for your point that the majority of people who have marriage problems had a church wedding and that the church has to look at itself to see why marriages are failng, I beg to disagree. In a global (not local) view, the vast majority of marriages are not church ordained and secondly, I don't suppose you want us to believe that it is the Church's blame that people abuse, cheat or are physically violent to their partners. Nor is it the Church's blame that people fall out of love with their married partners!

@ Liz Vella
As for your point about the couple refusing to be brainwashed by organised religion, unless one has proof that they are both atheists or agnostics I wouldn't hold my breath. Many maltese girls before this one married men from northern africa and their offspring had a moslem upbringing.

Do some people not realise that there are people living in the world that are not Catholic?

Why should we need an institution to back-up a couple's commitment to each other!? In today's day and age the couple's commitment to each other should come from within, through understanding and willingness to share each other ups and downs.

The majority of poeple that have marriage problems married through the church so maybe the church should look within itself to see why marriages they have ordained to be sacrosanct and ordained by God are failing.

Its always easy to point fingers at external causes and events!

Perhaps said couple would prefer not to live their lives brainwashed and dictated to by organized religion.

Congratulatins to the couple. But I would like to answer Mr Stephens that no one is obliged to marry in church. One gets married in church if one wants to as a lot of couples do. Yes many believe that God is present not only during the wedding ceremony but throughout our marriage.

How will a couple marrying in a registry office ever (eventually) separate without divorce? How can Malta have civil marriage without divorce?

In countries where there is divorce, the Catholic Church (vehemently against divorce) paradoxically insists the spouses get a divorce before it even accepts an application for annulment from either one of them.

So if a spouse previously married in a registry office in Malta wants an annulment, how would that work; especially if there are children involved?

Before anyone says the church doesn't grant annulment when children are involved, please look at Joseph Kennedy's (yes those Kennedy's) annulment.

Another triumph for modernism and another nail into the coffin of Maltese culture. A they say what merits being "with it, modern and admired by the world" but then lose cultural soul, and ethos, and what makes us Maltese..

P.S. Being modern is not always an advance for humanity: e.g. the abandonment of breast feeding of babies (viewed as archaic, stultifying and female bondage) in favour of the modern and "liberating" formula feeding with the by now well known consequent negative repercussions on the development and survival of the child, especially in thirld world and developing countries. .

Avvanz kbir, jien nghidlu tal-misthija.

This news is "Too Bad for San Lawrenz," because the hidden gozotano volcanic connection will burst upwards at any moment of time and this could happen or tremble very soon and not one will survive being close to this disaster throwing out a lot of soot and dry lava earth dust too..... Because you would be going to witness the dooms danger of a distress on earth. Don't be too proud for the four winds would also soon be blowing and heaven and earth might be trembling and shaken to an extend of eternity shock. Don't worry few would survive!! This is written and it shall come soon or later........

Congratulations to the couple and I hope many more will follow.

At a wedding two people make a commitment to each other. Each marries the other. Only the presence of a registrar and witnesses is required. Why should people who do not have a religious faith be required to make their promises in a church with a priest as registrar?
For those troubled by this notion of a civil marriage, isn't it so that Roman Catholics believe that God is present everywhere - and so, though not specifically invited, will be witness to these two people in love making their mutual commitment in the council Offices?
I wish them every happiness.

How come there is always something new, crazy or not in this tiny Malta.it looks like we are going down the drain like the rest of the world ! Will there be a wedding reception for the council too ?

@ Joe Borg
As long as they generate revenue they can dress whatever they like!!!!!

@Elaine Attard
LOL.. i'm already imagining Las Vegas style weddings in Malta... with the Mayor dressing like Elvis..!!

This is a great opportunity for Wedding Tourism. Especially for local wedding organisers. We can attract a lot more of these weddings with some creativity.

Congratulations. There will be a tsunami of these civil weddings when divorce comes.

Congratulations! and may you be followed by other lovely couples..

Congratulations to the couple!!!!