Matthew Xuereb
French couple cannot wed in Church - Curia
The Church in Malta would not allow a French divorced couple to get married in any church or chapel because they did not satisfy the requirements, a Curia spokesman said.
Frenchman Alain Schmitt, the leader of a French sect, and his girlfriend Laurence Liegeois, are in custody pending extradition proceedings against them.
Malta is acting on a European arrest warrant; the couple, who are allegedly on the run, are wanted in France following their conviction for torture and kidnapping two years ago.
Last week, through their lawyer Emmy Bezzina, they asked a court for permission to get married in Malta. Both of them were married and obtained a divorce in 2005.
They have an eight-year-old child together.
Magistrate Joseph Apap Bologna ruled on Thursday that, although there was no doubt the couple had a right to get married, he did not have the competence to decide upon the request.
Speaking outside the Marriage Registry office in Valletta yesterday, Dr Bezzina said the marriage would take place in two parts: first as a civil wedding and second as a religious ceremony in a chapel in Pietà. He said Fr Mark Montebello was prepared to officiate as long as the couple got the necessary clearance from the Curia.
But a Curia spokesman shot down this possibility, saying the religious ceremony would not be possible as it would be in breach of Canon Law.
"For a marriage to be celebrated in the Catholic Church, a couple have to prove their proper identity, their civil and canonical status and be adequately prepared to receive the sacrament. Procedures according to the teaching of the Church and according to Canon Law are followed in all cases, otherwise the marriage will be invalid," the spokesman said.
The spokesman stopped short of confirming whether the couple had requested permission to get married in the Pietà chapel on grounds of confidentiality.
Contacted for his reaction, Dr Bezzina said Church authorities "were laying a hurdle", adding it had to substantiate its refusal.
"The Church cannot apply two weights and two measures. Churches abroad allowed marriages between divorced people. The son of the King of Spain is one example. There is one Church with one set of rules, which must be applied equally everywhere. If this is not the case, then the Church in Malta is just a sect," he said.
Dr Bezzina said it was un-acceptable that his clients could not marry just because "there could be some monsignors who might have a hidden agenda".
He said there were local pro-minent people who obtained a divorce abroad and were then allowed to get married in Church just the same "because they had contacts and knew the right people".
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Philip Hili
May 21st 2011, 18:17
Veru kaz eccellenti!!!
Bla divorzju u diga' bdew it-tejatrini!!!! ahseb u ara kieku jkun hawn id-divorzju kemm Kummidjij, pantomimi u buzullotti nisimghu!!!
U le!! Halluna tridux!!! u jekk toghogobkom hajja bhal din, morru ghix fejn hemm dawn il-kummidji!!!!
Joe Fenech
May 21st 2011, 13:52
BIGOTS!
What's the Vatican's position over this?
Oscar Cassar
Jan 31st 2010, 17:04
@ Franco Buttigieg
YES in some cases, our courts also “apply two weights and two measures” and for a practical example you can make a research at the University Library for a particular thesis in connection with sentences given to persons (Criminals) from Kottonera and others from Sliema, and you can note the “two weights and two measures” by our courts.
Oscar Cassar
Jan 31st 2010, 16:54
1) Dr Bezzina should mention names of persons he knows that by means of ‘contacts and friends’ obtained a divorce abroad and were then allowed to get married in local Church. I’m sure he is right but he must give examples.
2) Regarding the Local Church authorities, I’m sure that most or at least quite a number of the marred couples, are still not ‘adequately’ prepared to receive the sacrament of marriage. In that case Local Church authorities must not have any problems and backlogs of cases for annulments, as most cases are quite clear that some persons were not ‘adequately’ prepared.
3) Particularly Local Church authorities make always the emphasis on the ‘Sacrament’ of marriage as if it was GOD who established the act as such. This as if to ignore that Church authorities established ‘Marriage’ as a ‘Sacrament’ (Not God) in a ‘Meeting’ due to a turbulent Political scenario.
Franco Buttigieg
Jan 31st 2010, 09:20
So this is where all this is leading to, their lawyer is not stupid, the urgency of marriage after so many years together is being played to build proof for their case that “If this is not the case, then the Church in Malta is just a sect,” leading to the fact that they themselves belong to a sect so as to proof that this practise in carried out by most people.
The media is unknowingly helping their lawyer build his case with all the publicity given, who knows maybe we will be told that our courts also “apply two weights and two measures” if things do not end with a positive outcome for this leader of a French sect, and his girlfriend.
Time will tell.
c. camilleric
Jan 30th 2010, 16:47
. Why are our courts taking so long to settle their case? Send them to France and they can try their luck there
Jason Borg
Jan 30th 2010, 16:18
It is true that the son of the King of Spain was married in church.
It is also true that he married a divorced wife.
But Dr. Bezzina should also have said that the bride's previous marriage was a civil one and not administerd by the church.
Raymond Sammut
Jan 30th 2010, 11:37
Dun Mark was prepared to officiate only conditional on clearance from the Curia registrar. And this after Magistrate Apap Bologna had ruled that there was no doubt the couple had a right to get married. This means that Dun Mark was not proposing to defy Maltese law or to go contrary to any directive from the Malta Curia. No need for anyone to take it against Dun Mark.
lgalea
Jan 30th 2010, 10:13
The Curia is right
Extradite them back to France and if they want to get married they can do so in France.
Is the Marriage Registrar going to fall for this ploy?