Fr Mario Attard, OFM Cap
The duty of Catholic politicians
In his apostolic letter issued motu proprio proclaiming St Thomas More patron of statesmen and politicians, Pope John Paul II wrote: “Man cannot be sundered from God, nor politics from morality” (§ 4).
A number of local Catholic politicians admitted that they are personally against divorce, nevertheless if confronted with the will of the majority in favour of divorce, they said they felt morally obliged to follow the majority’s wish. Are they justified in their claim?
Those politicians who consider themselves as Catholics must clearly know the Catholic Church’s position on divorce. In order to rightly form one’s conscience before irresponsibly adhering to people’s wishes, it is appropriate to recall once again that “divorce is a grave offence against the natural law”. It claims to break the contract, to which the spouses freely consented, to live with each other till death.
Divorce does injury to the covenant of salvation, of which sacramental marriage is the sign. Contracting a new union, even if it is recognised by civil law, adds to the gravity of the rupture: the remarried spouse is then in a situation of public and permanent adultery: If a husband, separated from his wife, approaches another woman, he is an adulterer because he makes that woman commit adultery, and the woman who lives with him is an adulteress, because she has drawn another’s husband to herself.
Divorce is immoral also because it introduces disorder into the family and into society. This disorder brings grave harm to the deserted spouse, to children traumatised by the separation of their parents and often torn between them, and because of its contagious effect which makes it truly a plague on society” (Cathecism of the Catholic Church 2384-2385).
The arbitrary respect of the people’s will in favour of divorce by a Catholic politician would be tantamount to adopting political utilitarianism. The latter holds that a policy is right insofar as it tends to produce the greatest happiness for the greatest number of people. Accordingly, if the divorce legislation brings the greatest satisfaction for the majority that would qualify it as intrinsically right. This argumentation is false because, in itself, divorce is detrimental as it desolates family life and harms communities and individuals, especially children. That is why the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith’s document of 2002, entitled The Participation Of Catholics In Political Life, stressed that “the family needs to be safeguarded and promoted, based on monogamous marriage between a man and a woman and protected in its unity and stability in the face of modern laws on divorce: in no way can other forms of cohabitation be placed on the same level as marriage, nor can they receive legal recognition as such”.
A Catholic politician is Catholic both in his/her private and public life. His/her individual and political decisions should reflect his/her Catholic beliefs. Quoting Vatican Council II’s Decree on the Apostolate of the Laity, Apostolicam Actuositatem, the same doctrinal note stated that “there cannot be two parallel lives in their existence: on the one hand, the so-called ‘spiritual life’, with its values and demands; and, on the other, the so-called ‘secular’ life, that is, life in a family, at work, in social responsibilities, in the responsibilities of public life and in culture. The branch, engrafted to the vine, which is Christ, bears its fruit in every sphere of existence and activity. In fact, every area of the lay faithful’s lives, as different as they are, enters into the plan of God, who desires that these very areas be the ‘places in time’ where the love of Christ is revealed and realised for both the glory of the Father and service of others. Every activity, every situation, every precise responsibility – as, for example, skill and solidarity in work, love and dedication in the family and the education of children, service to society and public life and the promotion of truth in the area of culture – are the occasions ordained by providence for a ‘continuous exercise of faith, hope and charity’”.
I greatly admire those Catholic politicians who will vote against the introduction of divorce in Parliament. Even if pressured by a consultative referendum in favour of divorce, they will certainly do their utmost to ensure this plague is not introduced in our Christian country.
Bearing in mind God’s hate for divorce (see Mal 2, 16), they would conscientiously champion and safeguard the unity of marriage and the family by their political choices. Their sterling political service would evidently exhibit the Church’s maternal solicitude for the family, as powerfully shown in Pope John Paul II’s famous dictum “As the family goes, so goes the nation, and so goes the whole world in which we live”.
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Anita Krüger
Apr 9th 2011, 16:28
Dear Fr Mario Attard, OFM Cap well written and informative. The article gives me a deep insight into The Catholic Church teaching. Thanks a lot,
Joe Zammit
Apr 9th 2011, 16:15
Christ was clear on the evil of adultery and said that, if one divorces his spouse and enters another marriage, one lives in adultery. (Mk 10, 2-12; Mt 19, 2-9). In the first letter to the Corinthians, St Paul says: “Do not be deceived; neither … nor adulterers… will inherit the kingdom of God” (1 Cor.6, 9-10).
Divorce is a grave sin. Par. 1789 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church runs: “One may never do evil so that good may result from it”
On July 13, 1917 the Virgin Mary told the three children of Fatima that “many go to hell on account of the sins of the flesh”. Among the sins of the flesh there is adultery. Padre Pio had regular mystical contacts with God, saints, angels and devils, and used to say that "divorce is a passport to hell".
Divorce leads to hell because it transgresses God’s categorical law on marriage, namely indissolubility. Divorce purports to do what it cannot do, namely to dissolve a valid marriage.
Let no one try to deceive God by planning to live in sin and die in grace. Such a plan will be the devil’s snare. You die as you live!
Carmel Serracino-Inglott
Apr 9th 2011, 15:01
Thank you learned father for your explanation. I fully agree with you not only because your reasoning is very logical but also because you are a closer representative of Christ on earth being a priest. May Our Lady keep her hands over Malta and may we pray to Her to defend us infront of God to keep our Malta from this plague . Thank you father.
Joseph Calleja
Apr 9th 2011, 14:55
" It claims to break the contract, to which the spouses freely consented, to live with each other till death." Divorce does the same thing that an annulment does, unless there are two interpretations of marriage. Stop threatening and dictating to politicians. How can the church sanction annulment and not sanction divorce? Maybe the church is not on the same page as the rest of the world. Look at what is happening; a lot of men and women prefer to cohabit in lieu of the traditional marriage, any law against that? Divorce is a sin, cohabiting is a maybe and an annulment is OK. So father what is the alternative? Catholic politicians have the duty to first stick to politics and not to religion, just like it is your duty to stick to religion and not to politics. Divorce is not a religious matter but a civil matter. Divorce like annulment does not force anybody to seek either one but even the church offers a way out through annulments which is the church interpretation of divorce. Politicians, catholic or not were elected by all the people, catholic and not catholic and they have a duty to serve all.
Robert Henry Bugeja
Apr 9th 2011, 13:53
Man cannot be sundered from God, nor politics from morality” (§ 4)
. ...Go and tell it to the families or directly to those who suffered an abuse from priests and are still running free in our society. Why are our politicians in power saying nothind about this mortal sin?
Are these the good morals you speak of? ...Father before you write make your homework well.
Ramon Casha
Apr 9th 2011, 12:42
Once parliament decided to put the question to the electorate, yes they are morally obliged to follow the wishes of the people, either by casting their vote according to the majority or by abstaining. If it had remained a purely parliamentary matter, things would have been different.
That means that - although I am in favour of divorce, if the majority vote against it I'd expect politicians who support divorce to abstain or vote according to the majority.
"It claims to break the contract, to which the spouses freely consented, to live with each other till death."
Actually they'll have already been living apart for four years. The vow would have already been broken.
Divorce is moral because it introduces order to the new family. Or don't they count too? At present both families are in a legal limbo. The first relationship is over and there's nothing left of the marriage to repair. The second relationship is completely unrecognised by the law. The current situation is detrimental to society, as has been shown by every other country in the world barring us and the Philippines.
l.theuam
Apr 9th 2011, 12:29
Had our politicians been conscious of this, we are not having the debate about divorce and going for a referendum. As human beings we can find hundreds of reasons to justify our selfish actions. But who can avoid the wrought of God infront of the truth which one ignores? The axiom is to believe or not to believe, to abide by God's law or to despise such a law. He who has ears to hear let him hear, and he who who has an intellect to reason let him reason by his only intellect and not by others' intellect.
d.attard
Apr 9th 2011, 12:29
is the catholic church committed to an on-going world wide campaign to repeal divorce laws the world over, or is the pseudo religious take on divorce that is littered with unsustaiable interpretations of church law being only fed to the maltese?
Most major christian denominations tolerate divorce in the true spirit of the scriptures where even our patron saint, st paul states that, in a spirit of compassion, a christian person who is abandoned by a partner who is a non-believer is no longer tied to that marriage etc etc...
Does father attard believe in the scriptures and in the true spirit of catholic teaching on concience or is he depriving catholics from exercising their informed concience by equating concience to what he says?
I feel the father attard is going against the very spirit of catholic teaching and the church leaders must intervene to either endorse or check what father attard is saying here. This will go a long way for many to consider if they actually belong to the church of love and christian compassion or if they belong to a church that has abandoned that pauline compassion for the sake of wordly power
Steve Pace
Apr 9th 2011, 12:19
@ Fr. Mario - And of course you missed out the part -
2383 The separation of spouses while maintaining the marriage bond can be legitimate in certain cases provided for by canon law.177
If civil divorce remains the only possible way of ensuring certain legal rights, the care of the children, or the protection of inheritance, it can be tolerated and does not constitute a moral offense.
How convenient !
Kurt Waschnig
Apr 9th 2011, 12:04
Fr Mario Attard, OFM Cap expresses his opinion in this editorial. Divorce is a very sensitive topic in Malta and the people of Malta are split in this question.
"A Catholic politician is Catholic both in his/her private and public life. His/her individual and political decisions should reflect his/her Catholic beliefs."
Malta is a stable and working democracy and the Maltese will decide by themselves and determine whether divorce will become a legal right in Malta like in other Western countries.
The majority decides in a democracy, institutions like political parties or especially The Catholic Curch in Malta try to influence people in which way they shall vote.
This is a legitimate right in a pluralistic society.
Catholic politicians who follow their conscience will feel the pressure should they vote against divorce so that the bill cannot be passed succesfully in parliament.
Their political career could be at risk because of losing the trust of voters.
They are aware of that risk. The coming weeks and months will show what decision they will meet.
This is democracy and The Maltese hopefully will decide that divorce must be a legal constitutional right.
Christian Sciberras
Apr 9th 2011, 10:44
The only duty of Catholic politicians to serve the citizens of the country, not God nor the Church.
Giga Vella
Apr 9th 2011, 10:04
The old dictatorial establishment of the sixties is rearing its ugly head again, here we go again,Dun, secularism is on it's way to prevail in this country, whether you like it or not .
Fifty years ago this week a political party was interdicted by Gonzi and people like Fr Mario Attard in our Malta Cattolicissima
MEDITATE GENTE MEDITATE
Joe Zammit
Apr 9th 2011, 09:50
A Catholic is Catholic always and everywhere. So discussing a topic from a civic point of view does in no way mean that a Catholic is on leave from his obligations towards God and his one holy Catholic and Apostolic Church. No Catholic can ever accept evil, like divorce, in his civic arguments. After all, Christ condemns divorce always (with no exception!) for our own good.
So the religious argument strengthens the civic argument because the Catholic has Christ enlightening words to convince him or her that divorce is evil and as such is always to the detriment of society.
Join in the battle between God and the devil! Fight the good fight! The victory is ours, it’s already guaranteed!
B. Cachia
Apr 9th 2011, 09:35
Fr. Attard is right in saying that Catholic teaching prohibits divorce. He is wrong in suggesting that Catholics should attempt to impose this aspect of their religious beliefs on others by law. The good news of the Gospel is there to be shared with others freely with love, and not to be forced down their throats.
Tommy Vella
Apr 9th 2011, 09:12
Thank you, Fr Mario, for presenting it so clearly.
Our faith (those who have it) in God and all that he teaches us is not to be put away in a drawer to be taken out as and if required and if circumstances or public opinion permit us to indulge in it. Faith is a virtue which is constantly with us and influences every action we take, even the most minor ones.
"No one lights a lamp and puts it in some hidden place oir under a tub, but on the lamp-stand so that people may see the light when they come in." (Luke 11,33).