Not every person’s wish is a right – bishop

Any legal measure that threatens the permanency of marriage is an action that goes against the common good, according to Gozo Bishop Mario Grech.

A society that really wants to promote the common good cannot neglect the ethical responsibilities of protecting the family that hinges on marriage.

As the divorce debate rages on, Mgr Grech told the congregation gathered in Independence Square, Victoria, for the Mass of Our Lady of Sorrows, that the common good included a wealth that could never be negotiated, not even in the name of the majority.

“Not every person’s wish is a right... A person has a right to make choices, but if he is married and has a family his rights have to be seen in the light of his duties towards the family and society,” he said.

Mgr Grech said it was the state’s duty to safeguard civil society’s common good and that of its citizens and institutions, including marriage and family.

Above all, he said, it was the citizens’ duty to contribute to cultivate and protect the common good.

“It is a Christian’s responsibility not to be absent from the debate and decisions society takes... and to steer clear of choices that can undermine the common good.”