Fiona Galea Debono
Welfare system 'supporting' practice of having children out of wedlock
The welfare system seems to be supporting the practice of having children out of wedlock and cohabitation, clinical psychologist Fr Paul Galea has said.
He is suggesting that, for the benefit of the children, the government should make marriage more appealing while not closing an eye to those who are opting out.
One in every 10 babies is born to an "unknown" father, although it is debatable how truly unknown the father is, Fr Galea says.
A paper he has just presented at a national conference on marriage showed that 34 per cent of children were born out of wedlock in 2007. About 24 per cent were born to unmarried couples, where the father was known, while in 10 per cent of the cases he was unknown. Most were born to people who still had the option of marrying.
For the good of the children born outside marriage, Fr Galea says married couples should be privileged through family-friendly legislation, taxation and social welfare.
At the moment, the government seems to be doing the opposite, he argues.
"Why should those couples who do everything by the book be less favoured than others when it comes to, for example, seeking housing?"
Privileges should be for persons with disability and for children, who may also be victims of their parents' irresponsibility, he remarks.
Studies need to be carried out on how to entice de facto marriages, which involve reconstituted families between separated couples, into the institutionalisation of the relationship, with their respective rights and duties.
To protect their children, they could be encouraged to enter into a civil union, or legal recognition, but should not be on the same footing as married couples.
Fr Galea spilled the statistics on unknown fathers at Saturday's national conference, Marriage - Quo Vadis? Speaking about the phenomenon of the "fatherless" society, he revealed the high percentage of supposedly unknown fathers that resulted from a study of baptismal records.
Fr Galea says he was told by parish priests that the "unknown" father would actually turn up at the baptism in the role of godfather, and points to the social benefits the parents enjoy as the main reason for not declaring paternity. It resulted they were better off than other mothers, he adds.
The real problem is the "privatisation" of the relationship, according to Fr Galea. It means that being a couple and having a baby has become a private affair, with the collusion of the parents, who even set up a double bed for their daughter and the "unknown father" in their home, where he reaps the advantages, without any obligations.
However, Fr Galea does not put the blame squarely on the man. "It takes two to tango and if the girl wants to get pregnant she knows how. Despite the availability of contraceptives, they do not use them, or they fail."
Fr Galea says it is endemic of Maltese society that everyone operates outside legality, not just with regard to commerce and taxes.
People do not understand what the state and the Church have to do with their relationship, he notes. The Church merely has an educational role but if someone refuses to pay taxes the state can interfere. It should be the same if someone is bringing children into the world without shouldering the responsibility, Fr Galea argues.
The stigma of having an unknown father is being buried by the parents and has started to be accepted but studies have proven such children are underprivileged and fall behind with regard to health and intelligence, compared to those from stable families.
"Many have a low standard of living, depending on the grandparents. While the natural, unregistered fathers could still be contributing, they have no strings attached, meaning they cannot be held liable and resulting in more insecurity."
Fr Galea says the politicians are aware of the situation and want to tackle it but do not know how.
Social Policy Minister John Dalli says the matter is being studied and that no one should abuse of social welfare. He is looking into verifying the figures of children born out of wedlock.
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Donna Degaetano
Mar 18th 2009, 13:22
@ J. Magro
The church cannot refuse to baptise children who are registered as Father Unknown if the father turns up for the ceremony 'cos no one has the right to refuse to baptise a baby. It's not the child's fault if this is being done and what has happened to the saying the Church is so famous for repeating "Only God can judge us"? Does anybody honestly think that the Father Unknown phenomen will simply dissappear if this is done? No, let me tell you what will start to happen....babies will not be baptised anymore!!! You cannot bully anyone into doing anything 'cos it almost always backfires!! Co-habiting couples are refused Holy Communion but is it stopping co-habitation??
Joe Zammit
Feb 15th 2009, 15:44
Congratulations to Cana Movement and Caritas Malta on these badly needed discussions on marriage and family life in Malta and Gozo. The comments passed show the impact the Catholic Church still enjoys in our Catholic islands for our own benefit. One of the effects of this impact is the fact that the majority of marriages are still going strong. Some more effort is needed to help those in difficulties. The question of children out of wedlock is a social problem to which anyone can give suggestions and solutions. Legislation will surely help but alone is not enough. Education and religion as well play an important role in the solution. God is there to help us and the more we draw ourselves to him, the easier the solution will be.
Jim Bailey
Feb 13th 2009, 20:11
I have claimed that I was coned by a lovely looking so called charming Christian Lady who seemed to know the scriptures better than me. Thus I dropped my guard thinking she was a gift from God – What a load of lies that turned out to be – The scriptures tell me that Sex is the covenant of marriage and thus I indulged willingly – BUT alas when the time came to officiate in the sight of Man she was nowhere to be found – She ran pregnant and supported by WINZ – New Zealand’s Social Welfare her so called Christian mates and Family helped her steal my Son and still do – I suspect a well planned ABUSE of my Son and I – Onward - Jim
Dr Francis Saliba
Feb 13th 2009, 17:45
The two most obvious explanation for "father unknown" is either that this is only a pretence intended to milk the state of undeserved, illicit benefits or that the girl is so promiscous that she connot be sure who the father is - DNA testing would decide that.
Marianna Galea Xuereb
Feb 13th 2009, 15:33
@Joseph Attard
“Also why is it that Fr. Paul Galea does not mention the tax benefits enjoyed by married couples?” Because the tax benefit enjoyed by two single working people in a “couple” who officially reside at different addresses – as well as the children’s allowance they/ the mother may claim if they have children - is still better than if the same two workers got married. Besides if a married person is made redundant while married to a working spouse he/she is NOT entitled to any unemployment benefit – no matter for how long the redundant worker has been paying 10% of his/her salary as National Insurance Contributions – but a single, unmarried worker is entitled to full unemployment benefits after having paid only a year’s NI contribution – even if all the NI contributions were paid at minimum wage rate only and even if he/she happens to be the unmarried partner of someone whose annual income is comparable to that of Warren Buffet and Bill Gates put together…….
Marianna Galea Xuereb
Feb 13th 2009, 15:32
@Joseph Attard (continued)
…… Maltese Law at present also discriminates against married couples as far as retirement pensions are concerned. So two single people in a “couple” who have worked practically all their adult lives will end up with more money between them in their old age if they remain single than if they get married.
Morale: So long as Maltese Laws remain as perverse and ridiculous as they are now, hard working couples should NOT get married even if they do not intend to apply for social housing because by doing so they will be depriving themselves and any children they may have out of a certain amount of income all their lives, as my husband and I know only too well. As Christians we have been taught that “Man does not live by bread alone” but at the end of the day we all come to realize that one cannot pay any bills out of one’s wealth of moral convictions and religious living.
Ronald Cauchi
Feb 13th 2009, 09:04
While Fr Galea is quite right about abuses of the welfare system by mothers claiming that the father is unknown, it is discriminatory and a case of imposing of ones sets of values on others when he claims that people who are married should be treated any better or indeed any different from couples who decide to cohabit publicly even when they have no obstacles to getting married. We should all be free to live our lives according to our own standards and not be discriminated against for doing so.
d. borg
Feb 13th 2009, 07:48
I think married couples are being discriminated against. These girls know exactly what they're doing and they know that the end justifies the means. They get benefits, subsidized housing and everything else without any commitment. The govt must stop this abuse.
Paul Caruana
Feb 12th 2009, 21:17
The way to hell is indeed paved with good intentions, While state support of unwed mothers is commendable, there is no doubt that it is actually incentivising people to abuse the system - in a country where people expect to get everything free from the state, for some people this includes the upkeep of their offspring!
What we need is a system of tracking down fathers, which would then be expected to foot part of the bill, in lieu of the taxpayer although admitedly this is easier said than done.
Dr. John Zammit
Feb 12th 2009, 18:56
Dr. John Zammit @ Jimmy Magro
Go to the Association for Men's Rights website: www.freewebs.com/mensrightsmalta and you will see how long we have been saying about these things, since 1990 when I founded the association and also read how many foreign and now Maltese fathers are finding that their children are not theirs because their wife has gone with some other men whilst they were at work!!! That is why we are now saying do not get married!!! Marriage is finished. You must be mad to get married in this age!!!! If the priests want to get married they must get married themselves and not interfier in other men's private life!!!!
Manuel Mangani
Feb 12th 2009, 16:14
While the situation as described by Fr. Galea calls must be reformed, we should all be careful about those who would like to take advantage of the system's weaknesses and its vulnerability to abuse to clamour for the dismantlement of the welfare state. The welfare state has decreased the injustices inherent in society, and has enabled enormous improvments to all sectors of society as measured, for example, by life span and general quality of life. We need to weed out the abusers, but leave the basics of the sysytem untouched, unless we want to risk bringing about a society where the homeless abound, and where the level of medical care depends on one's income, rather than on one's needs.
D Vella
Feb 12th 2009, 14:44
Unknown fathers my eye . . . . The Taxpayer never gave consent for Government to subsidise totally irresponsible sexual promiscuity nor to protect people who don't want to carry their responsibilities!!!
C. Azzopardi
Feb 12th 2009, 13:33
Unknown father??? How many different partners must the woman have had then for the father to be unknown? Or was it a case of each and every female being drunk out of their minds and not remembering whom they had fun with????
John Spiteri, AN Information Secretary
Feb 12th 2009, 13:12
Another issue where Azzjoni Nazzjonali was spot on and could see the writing on the wall from a long way off. the welfare state breeds a dependency culture and promotes individual and social irresponsibility. it also traps those who live off it in a vicious cycle. it is the root of many social problems and it needs reform - it is not welfare per se which is the problem but the mechanics of the welfare state and the lure of auction politics - these are separate issues. time and again, it is being shown that where it comes to comprehension and coherence - AN leads and the others trail.It is the same on other issues such as immigration, the economy, the EU, law and order, education and that latest fetish to suck up more of your taxes - so called climate change.
Ms P Graham
Feb 12th 2009, 12:44
So, pray tell me what then happens to those children who did not ask to be born into the, referred to circumstances? Why punish an innocent newborn?
It's all well and good trying to put a stop to the ever increasing "good time baby", but would it not be more pertinent to look to educating those youngsters in particular, as to the importance of "**family" (by imitation) and how those "good times" can quickly become devastating to them, their education, their families, and their future.
Single parents come from all walks of life.
Education and awareness, knowing where our children are at all times, where and who they are with at weekends and verifying information they give and not just a key to come and go as they like.
Promoting family life is the key. Less emphasis on teenage relationships, less encouragement in many cases, for our youngsters to grow up too quickly, stricter parenting and more emphasis on building/promoting "**family units" that support, love and protect each other.
**Family = in whatever combination works for the individual.
Jesmond Micallef
Feb 12th 2009, 12:29
If a social system supports the practise of having children out of wedlock, cohabitation and accepting strange terminology such "Unknown Father" on a childs birth certicate, then may I suggest the use of other appropriate terminology other then "Welfare".
IT SIMPLY HURTS MY BRIANS.
Thank you.
Jimmy Magro
Feb 12th 2009, 12:19
In these cases, both the State and the Church are being an accomplice to a moral, legal and financial abuse. This must stop from tomorrow. I wish to know what NGO's representing men and women have to say, as well as the Commissioner for Children. Please make your voice heard. That is your duty to society.
People should not always blame political parties since these institutions are lobbied by all sectors of society and they are prone to listen to the pressure made on them.
Welfare should only be there as an instrument for social justice and not as a cow that everyone can suck on its milk.
lgalea
Feb 12th 2009, 12:17
Joseph Attard
People should be encouraged to have children in wedlock not our of wedlock.
How many persons who are about to be married or even after they are married find out that they are half-siblings?
Anthony Zahra
Feb 12th 2009, 12:15
This may be a bit besides the point of the article, but is Fr Galea lamenting the improper use of contraceptives by these young couple? Wasn't the RC church supposed to be against the use of contraceptives? Or is it the case that Fr Galea is being misquoted?
Jimmy Magro
Feb 12th 2009, 12:15
It is not only "supporting" but the current welfare system is an incentive to bring children and decalre them as single female parent. before I wrote about what hearts do the single mothers have but I must say what hearts do the fathers have since they have abondoned their children from day one. Only to receive welfare money. This is shameful for both the mother and the father.
The Church is an important institution and as such is duty bound to make proposals to the Government to change the rules of play. Many bloggers have noticed that this is an abuse as most single mothers have their partner living with them and this is also known to the church and the state. The church must also take a stand and disallow the abuse by refusing the baptism when as stated by bloggers, the child is registered as Father unknown and then the father attends the baptism ceremony/function. This is disgraceful.
ray deguara
Feb 12th 2009, 11:42
The report is completly correct. These people are abusing the system and undercutting honest families that try to pull their own weight. A system should be adopted that does not allow any state aid to women bearing children to unknown fathers,unknown fathers my foot. The fathers must be made to pay support to these woman and with DNA testing cannot deny paternaty. Come on powers that be, its your responsibility to safeguard the honest tax paying citizen. Attention Ministry of Social Policy please.
Joseph Attard
Feb 12th 2009, 11:42
Married and non married couples, single mothers etc should be treated the same, i.e. give benefits to all. These are children we are talking about and we should not discriminate them. Our society needs children, they are our future. People should be encouraged to have children.
If couples turn the absurd amounts of money they spend on their dream weddings, and instead invest them in their children then I'm sure we'll have better generations!
Also why is it that Fr. Paul Galea does not mention the tax benefits enjoyed by married couples?
Joseph
Edwin Mifsud
Feb 12th 2009, 11:27
I fully agree. Why should the tax payer suffer for people who had a good time with Tom Dick and Harry only later to claim they do not know who the father is?
I don't think that welfare should ever be used to aid people who bring situations on themselves. It should be there to help people with a disability or others who find themselves in an unfortunate tragedy.
Unmarried/single mothers should not be subsidized for building a family out of what we traditionally are used to being the norm.
I'm sure Social Policy Minister John Dalli knows how the problem should be takled but it will cost votes, precious votes that might mean losing elections.
g. scerri
Feb 12th 2009, 11:27
"Father Galea says the politicians are aware of the situation and want to tackle it but do not know how." Well for a start, people like Ms. Coleiro Preca and Minister Dolores Cristina should not attack proposals that suggest that single parenthood is nothing to boast of. At least one Party to my knowledge made valid suggestions in this sector in the last election campaign but votes come before principles and the so-called liberal writers are still in vogue.
Paul Barrett
Feb 12th 2009, 11:14
There are a multitude of problems and a multitude of knee jerk reactions.
Cause and effect - very difficult to judge but we have ended up with an ever increasing social mess.
Many young people are quite willing to have adult fun but are unwilling or not sure that they wish to tie themselves down for life with a particular partner and then have no way out. A reasonable amount of couples find that they have made a mistake in their choice of a lifetime partner and separate; having separated, they then find another single, married or separated partner and wish to live together but low and behold, they are prevented from doing so officially as a recognised family.
Gains in the current system: Nil.
Losers: The children, The Church, The State and of course the individuals concerned.
H Gatt
Feb 12th 2009, 10:51
@Kevin Zammit
The answer to your 2 questions is a resounding ‘yes’! YES people are taking advantage of our social welfare system! YES the way things are at the moment makes it more appealing to abuse of the system rather than be honest and hardworking.
All this has nothing at all to do with supporting any ideology, but a basic social issue that deserves a serious and mature discussion. I pay the taxes and presumably you also pay the taxes, so I suggest that you stop living in a bubble and remove your rose-tinted glasses so hopefully you will see that for example social housing is more easily available to someone with a ‘father unknown’, while an honest hard-working person has to resign himself/herself to a lifetime of paying loans.
lgalea
Feb 12th 2009, 10:35
Father Galea is correct.
All benefits must be stopped to those who declare the father to be unknown.
As if they don't know with whom they enjoyed themselves!
And yes. If the Government really wants to save the family it should give more benefits to married persons, not allow cohabiting couples to have the same benefits of married couples, and not allow same sex cohabiting couples to be recognized as marriages.
Simply following other countries will lead to the destruction and disorder that we are seeing in other countries and societies.
EDWIN DE MARCO
Feb 12th 2009, 10:25
I followed "Porta,Porta" on RAI Uno yesterday. They also have one out of 10 babies out of wedlock. So we should be proud that we can compare ourselves with Italy, one of the most Catholic (never heard of any corruption whatever) in the whole, wide world. Of course, nobody ever said that they get state aid in italy. Is John Dalli serious about people abusing from social welfare? Not in Malta, surely?
Kevin Zammit
Feb 12th 2009, 10:13
Fr. Galea,
Are we saying that charity breeds compacency? Is that what makes Malta more appealing to illigal immigrants?
Interesting conservative tone ... I guess the church is not immune to pulling out studies to support an ideology.
Helena Psaila
Feb 12th 2009, 09:56
Religious marriage and civil union should be equal. Non-religious people love their partners just as much as religious people, and they should not be discriminated against.
Moreover, people who enter into a civil union should be allowed to dissolve their union if they both consent to it, because they are not bound by the laws of the Catholic Church.