Anti divorce and also at peace with conscience (1)

Eugene Sapiano deemed it fit to inform us (April 27) that he is pro divorce and at peace with his conscience.

Well, I too feel at peace with my conscience but, as a Catholic and a priest, I obviously am anti divorce.

I feel at peace with my conscience because first of all I know that God “hates” divorce (Mal 2,16).

Christ, the Son of God, who told Pontius Pilate: “…I was born for this, I came to the world for this, to bear witness to the truth; and all who are on the side of the truth listens to my voice” (Jn 18, 37) also told us that “…but I say this to you, everyone who divorces his wife, except for the cause of an illicit marriage (porneia), makes her an adulteress; and anyone who marries a divorced woman commits adultery” (Mt 5,32; Mt 19,19).

I feel at peace with my conscience also because the Church, in the Second Vatican Council, lists divorce as one of the deformations of the institution of marriage (Gaudium et Spes par 47). In her official catechism, the Catechism of the Catholic Church (1992), the Church also states clearly that divorce is one of the main offences against the dignity of marriage (par 2382 ff), a social plague of society (par 2385) because it undermines the institution of the family, which is the backbone of society. It is a grave offence against the natural law (par 2384) and brings with it disorder in the family and in society in general (par 2385).

Moreover, I feel at peace because I fully adhere to the teachings of the Popes. Blessed Pope John Paul II, in the Apostolic Exhortation Familiaris Consortio (1981) states that: “Conjugal communion is characterised not only by its unity but also by its indissolubility.” (par 20).

While in his speech to the Roman Rota on January 28, 2002, the same Pope affirms: “We must not give in to the divorce mentality…Society has to understand that divorce undermines the lives of the children and society itself... Indissolubility is not an ideal but a natural law requisite of universal applicability”.

I also fully agree with Pope Benedict XVI’s invitation to the Maltese nation when he came to visit us in April last year to continue to defend among other values human life and the indissolubility of marriage: “You should be proud that your country both defends the unborn and promotes stable family life by saying no to abortion and divorce. I urge you to maintain this courageous witness to the sanctity of life and the centrality of marriage and family life for a healthy society”.

I feel at peace with my conscience because I fully agree with my bishops’ Doctrinal and Pastoral statement sent to us priests on March 19, 2011 in which they state: “As regards marriage Christ’s words are clear and confirm the will of the Father that ‘from the beginning of creation … what God has joined together let no man put asunder’ (Mk 10, 6-9). This shows that marriage is in itself permanent… For a Catholic a law that renders marriage not permanent goes against the will of the Father. Therefore, the Catholic who is in favour of divorce creates a dichotomy between what he believes in and what he is going to choose, a choice which will bring with it irreparable consequences… When the Catholic realises that his judgement is not in accordance with the teachings of Christ as transmitted to us by the Church, he is not free of guilt if he does not bring his judgement to be in consonance with that teaching…’.

And above all, I feel at peace with my conscience because Christ told the Apostles: “Anyone who listens to you, listens to me; anyone who rejects you rejects me, and who rejects me rejects the one who sent me.” (Lk 10, 16).

Therefore, when the time will come and God calls me to give an account of my decision taken on May 28, I feel at peace with myself because I would have taken the right decision since as a Catholic, guided by the Catechism of the Catholic Church as it should be, I would have based my conscience and decision on Christ’s teachings as illustrated to me so clearly by the Word of God, the teachings of the Church, supported by the gifts of the Holy Spirit, helped by the advise of wise people, assisted by prayer and an examination of conscience (cfr Compendium CCC no 374).