Bible writings against divorce – bishops

The bishops cited the Bible to preach against divorce in the Lenten pastoral letter being read out in churches today.

The emphasis of the letter by Archbishop Paul Cremona and Gozo Bishop Mario Grech was almost entirely on the need to preserve the traditional family.

“When confronted by a group of Pharisees on the subject of divorce, Jesus showed them he was disappointed and hurt. In the same way, God was hurt by the choice made by Adam and Eve. The Pharisees believed they could create a better society built on the possibility of divorce rather than on the stability which marriage provides,” they said.

The discussion on the subject of divorce has helped Christians to realise not only to what extent this erodes everlasting marriage, but it has also led to question this culture, the bishops said.

“Probably we are not even aware to what extent this has changed, and that in so doing, it has served as a deterrent to those who wish to marry and persevere in their marriage,” they warned.

“God’s plan for marriage and the family was His greatest gift to mankind. He planned this so that new beings would be born and raised within an atmosphere of love and stability. All the elements of this plan are so closely connected that when a marriage breaks down, all the benefits of this plan are lost.

“According to God’s plan, an option which favours marriage and the family is an option in favour of mankind.”

The bishops said every Christian person had a fundamental choice to make – whether they believe and allow themselves to be guided by the reasoning of God and His plan for Creation when He created man and woman in complete unity as “one body”, or whether they are led by human logic which is detached from God’s plan, leading to the destruction of this unity as a result of divorce.

“We must discern whether a society in which there is divorce offers a better future than a society which has at its foundations, stable marriages which are worth investing in.”

In an indirect reference to the fact that Malta and the Philippines are the only countries with no divorce legislation, the bishops said Christians must not be afraid to think differently from others, but should feel confident that even if they are alone in the eyes of the world on this point, they are not alone before God.

They said that those couples who were enjoying the beauty of married life should respond to the call to look lovingly upon others suffering a failed marriage and contribute towards giving them a helping hand.

The bishops urged married couples to be proud of their partners. They said married people should display photos of their partners at their workplace and not engage in conversations that ridicule married life, or in talk that belittles women.

Visit www.maltadiocese.org to read the pastoral letter in full.