'Broaden annulment grounds' - Fr Hilary
The grounds for marriage annulments should be broadened, Fr Hilary Tagliaferro tells The Sunday Times in an interview today.
The popular priest and founder of the Millennium Chapel, in St Julian's, says the grounds to annul a marriage are still too tight and limited in a changing world.
"The world and life in general have changed - even over the last five years, let alone 30! No wonder we have marriages breaking down after four decades," Fr Hilary says, though he aligns himself with the Church that divorce is not the solution.
Official statistics show that in 2007 and 2008 there were 355 annulments and 1,156 separations.
"Life has changed and the reasons for an annulment today should be different from those the Church established 10 years ago," Fr Hilary says.
"When you delve into the reasons why relationships break down, you find that, from the onset, there was never any love, or good intentions to build something. I think that is reason enough to annul a marriage and enter into a new relationship," he insists, pointing out he knows many people who started a successful second relationship.
Commenting about the priesthood, Fr Hilary says although he does not feel celibacy is a major deterrent, he is sure this prerequisite will be changed in the future.
"Again, the world has changed, and I think it would be good for celibacy not to be compulsory... I had a brother who was also a priest and he left. He lived his married life as a saint. He was a much better person than I."
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A. Farrugia, Fgura
Mar 29th 2010, 10:00
Fully in agreement on both the annulment and the celibacy points. The Church needs to listen more attentively to such proposals and understand the genuine elements behind these proposals, rather than stick with technicalities that might not be appropriate and/or necessary today.
Re: Annulment - the Church always argues that whatever God unites, man can't disband. However, I'm sure the Almighty wouldn't 'consent' to a marriage between two individuals who marry for wrong reasons, or not prepared enough, mentally, for a lifetime commitment. In such cases, who are we (humans) to assume that God actually 'endorsed' this marriage? In such cases, an annulment should be agreed upon without much delay. If the spirit, pre-marriage, wasn't there, then in my view the sacrament of marriage was null and void!!
Oh and on this point, isn't ordination of a priests/nuns a sacracment too? How can the Church disband THAT and not marriages?
Re; Celibacy or not, I would have no issue whatsoever with a married priest delivering a sermon about life, it would more likely appeal to married individuals or people in a relationship I guess, as the priest would draw from personal (own) experiences, not books or what they hear.
Francis Bellizzi
Mar 29th 2010, 09:29
The church in Malta as well as the government must go into the 21st century or else get left behind by the rest. It is refreshing to hear father Hilary speak his mind. That is indeed refreshing in Malta! As for not having a loving relationship in marriage, it`s like living in prison. People must be given a second chance.
J Farrugia
Mar 28th 2010, 21:39
hear hear