Godfrey Grima
Greater separation between Church and state will not work
Last weekend’s upset divorce referendum result should spur both ruling politicians and the Church to seriously start reordering their priorities. Both have just been given a serious drubbing at the polls.
The Church is in shock, the ruling Nationalist Party punch drunk, its size 10 pride shrunk to pinhead size. In just one day, 212,547 voters hauled Malta into the heart of liberal democracy, the default setting of modern governance.
Much of the ordeal politics and the Church find themselves in is the result of the thick gruel they brew.
For decades they have relied on measurements priests and politicians cut, make, and trim for the rest of us. The problem is that people’s trust in the country’s traditional yardsticks is slipping.
As a result, victims of broken political pledges and those whose social distress becomes daily more pressing are waking up to different, painful realisms.
Signs of disenchantment with a Church that is weak and dull and a state whose promises are often hollow are everywhere to be seen.
Possibly we are at a point where people, now at their furthermost point of forbearance, may be losing faith in bedrock precepts that weld people, the state and the Church together. We may be at the start of a more faithless future.
That would be hugely unwelcome.
Faithlessness breeds inertia which in turn spawns all sorts of social diseases. Luckily, Church and political party leaders can still pull us all back together from the brink.
For all that was suggested by Yes campaigners, the notion of promoting greater separation between Church and state sounds hugely suspect. If anything, the answer, I would think, lies in both forging closer affinities. Two galactic institutions working apart in an island this small serves a struggling nation no purpose, except to step into more muddy puddles.
The Catholic Church in Malta is a massive positive force for good. Nothing can seriously disfigure its contributions to society. Its absolute truths are valid, its wealth of human experience invaluable, its institutions praiseworthy.
Here’s one truth: the Catholic Church will not compromise its values, even in the face of inevitable events that mark man’s journey on earth, like divorce. Therein lies its strength.
But away from what is truly sinful or not, it can modify its strategy largely by taking an axe to long festering dogmatic problems.
It must, above all today, accept the supremacy of institutions whose job is to grant people greater freedoms. Said simply, the Church needs to attach less equivocal certitudes to its pronouncements.
To come of age it has to show a kinder face, certainly more than that of clergymen whose passion for Christ often equals their zeal for party politics.
It’s the bishops’ job to seize the moment. All they need do is trust us more. We may be not half as sinning as prelates fear.
Politicians deserve even more pelting with their own misgivings.
Government sending the divorce issue to the hustings epitomises the political mediocrity which produces divisive blunders.
Possibly, the Nationalist Party, its image with voters wrinkled, had hoped its Catholic credentials were enough to safeguard its fortunes at the polls. It’s the stuff of comedy stores.
Clearly the country is less conservative than imagined. Consequently the PN was again caught on a hind leg. As in the case of the Church the Nationalist Party needs embrace some very nettlesome truths. The obsession with producing endless self- congratulatory certificates for the evening TV news bulletin and the morning papers is delusionary.
Each day, government news stories sound far more like new cures than new blessings.
Last week’s electoral result may suggest Labour could be picking up fresh winds in its sail. That’s yet to be seen.
Time will tell whether voters will judge Labour to be a credible transformer to a more temperate, less painful future.
Still, in the minds of many, the cachet of moral leadership seems to have passed from Lawrence Gonzi to Joseph Muscat.
Easing the social and economic stress bearing down on families and businesses will remain a massive undertaking more so until the international investments climate settles down.
A lay state run by Catholics making cause with the Church seems to be more than a perfect fit.
Pseudo intellectuals and fruitcake political scientists may disagree but this is bound to generate heaps of increased equilibrium to society.
Even better, we might finally get to see the backs of clergymen, politicians – and journalists – whose survival rests exclusively on them selling magic potions and snakes’ oil to a trusting audience.
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Mr K.M Edwards
Jun 6th 2011, 17:23
This article raises an excellent topic that has not really been touched upon by politicians and political pundits at all in this debate from what I have been able to see.
Notably, that Malta's Constitution specifically and explicitly calls out its "CATHOLIC" identity.
If Malta passes a law in favor of divorce, that cannot square with the Catholic Church's definition - infallible by its own standards - that "holding the Church to be in error (for its position on divorce) ... is anathema", that is "Non Catholic", I believe that this warrants a constitutional crisis.
This is a worthy question for Maltese politicians from both parties, theologians, clerics and educated laity to pose to CDF (Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith), which is the authority in clearing up questions of a dogmatic nature within the Catholic Church.
These answers are typically very clear from the CDF usually answered "in the negative" or "in the affirmative" and can help set the stage for a Constitutional debate.
Essentially, the question should be whether a nation can be Catholic and still have legalized divorce (incumbent with legalized and state recognized re-marriage). One would suspect that based on the infallible declarations of Trent the CDF would respond in the negative but since Maltese theologians were not exactly certain on that fact, the CDF can help clear it up for them.
At that point, Malta would have a clear signal to either vote Catholic character out of the constitution or reconsider its position on legalized divorce.
Asking the CDF for formal direction would also be useful for the inevitable political debates that will rise to the fore in Malta in the next decade, notably on IVF, same sex marriage, same sex adoption, and possibly abortion or abortion pills (RU486 for example). The Maltese will then make clear choices for or against the Catholic nature of their constitution once and for all.
Ms Sabrina Borda
Jun 6th 2011, 10:11
It is the Maltese Church's faithlessnes in the people that brings inertia, stagnation and immobility.
Faith is not only a mere belief in religion. Faith has to do with the belief in ourselves and therfore as a society moving forward activally.
Ms Lina CARUANA
Jun 6th 2011, 12:35
Yes but what kind of beliefs one holds is just as important because the Church is ustoo.
Ms Manquareiel de Caveden
Jun 6th 2011, 14:09
'The Church is ustoo'? The Church does not represent all the Maltes Ms. Lina CARUANA.
Ms Sabrina Borda
Jun 6th 2011, 16:46
Ms Caruana, you do what is important to you. What is important to the people of Malta has shown you clearly in your wake up call of the 28th May.
Roger Tirazona
Jun 5th 2011, 20:22
The only thing upsetting I find about the referendum is that it cost us 4 million Euros and the MP's we elected are hiding behind an alleged crisis of conscience instead of being the people's voice. A majority of votes put them there and put the PN in government and a Majority of votes in the referendum should bring a consensus in Parliament. At this rate, the PN supporters who voted yes will owe the divorce bill to the PL. I am sure the electorate will give a lot of importance to the MP's behaviour for this bill regarding the next election.
What I cannot understand is how Godfrey Grima is launching an attack on a movement towards a Secular Malta by calling it "Faithlessness" and stating that this faithlessness spawn social diseases. Firstly Secularity does not mean faithlessness; a Secular Malta would be a Malta where no religious influence would be exerted in civil policy making. As stated in previous comments this is a thing MOST WELCOME by the Church like the diocese in Pakistan. If I am not mistaken, Vatican Council II also supports Secularity (probably after JFK's speech supporting it back in the 60's) but this would have to be verified. A Secular Malta is not a Communist Malta. Those of us who want a clear cut separation between RELIGION (not just the church) and the state are not going to turn churches into swimming pools like the Soviet Union did. We all know that the Church serves a useful purpose in many occasions and nobody wants to take that merit away but it should keep out of civil matters for its sake and for the sake of the country.
Mr. Grima makes a separation between church and state sound like a war will wage between them as many think that there is between Science and Religion. This is not the case either. These 'galactic' institutions as he calls them will simply stop having the self-serving symbiotic relationship that they have here in Malta. No more using weeping Madonnas in political arguments and no more saying that any form of vote in an election or referendum is a sin. Even more so in Malta it is important that this separation happens, as the main religion in Malta holds a strong, intrinsic and historical relationship with one of the parties and this, without having any offensive remarks from any bishops, is already a bias in our democratic system. I firmly believe that with a secular Malta, the church will heal the wounds inflicted by the Maltese curia since the 1960's and stop associating itself with any political stance. Then it can focus on things that are what the Church should be all about: Spirituality.
I still cannot understand how Godfrey Grima called last week's referendum as an election that is putting wind in the sails of the PL. Just because the PL appeared to be in favour of the bill, I am sure that the majority of the voters did not take this into consideration; and even if they did it should not have been so. This should have never been about party politics. What I believe is harming the PN is that the party is adamant to remain defiant of the result. Also I cannot understand is how he is mixing morality with politics; Morality, especially religious indoctrinated morality, will not be the factor that will help alleviate the tough future ahead. Maybe a more liberal frame of thinking (as expressed in the referendum) and a strong voice representing us in the European community are the recipe for ensuring our survival.
Ms Manquareiel de Caveden
Jun 5th 2011, 20:37
It seems the fundamentalist theocrats are crawling out of the woodwork to try and stop the great demand for a Secular and Modern Democracy! Such a ridiculous article Mr. Grima you treat separation of Church and State as though it were a Holy War!
Ms Lina CARUANA
Jun 6th 2011, 12:37
Making the Church a scapegoat for aliberal personal issue encouraged by politics cannot bring progress but a stalemate.
Ms Manquareiel de Caveden
Jun 6th 2011, 14:08
Ms Lina CARUANA, it is not a 'liberal personal issue' but the requisite of a fair, representative and democratic state, moreover, evidently demanded by the electorate. The only stalemate is in the mind of disillusioned conservatives!
Mr jon lukas woodenman
Jun 5th 2011, 17:44
Cool article Godfrey ... however it makes me feel from the little i catch here 'n there over the internet that maybe the Church in Malta is in need of consulting some credible modern pr firm to work with its strategists who seem to be getting it wrong. They seem to be needing a facelift and to start freshening up their profile . Dunno' but that's what old successful bands that have become staid do 'n it works 8 outta' ten. I've been there .. loll !!
http://tinyurl.com/62newh8
Mr Charles camilleri
Jun 5th 2011, 16:44
' the clergy whos passion for Christ often equals their zeal for party politics'
Is Mr Grima alluding to those leftist priests who we often seen patronising on our TV screens and write regular political articles in the papers. No need to mention them as they are known to everyone.
Ramon Casha
Jun 5th 2011, 15:16
I think it's interesting that Christians (including Catholics) in places like Pakistan and Egypt are vocal in their call for a secular state. In THESE places, they want a strict separation between religion and state. What is good for the goose should be good for the gander, no?
http://www.cathnewsindia.com/2011/02/01/pakistan-bishops-want-religion-state-separated/
http://www.catholicculture.org/news/headlines/index.cfm?storyid=9348
Ms D Galea
Jun 5th 2011, 18:11
In Pakistan and Egypt ,ALL non-muslims (ESPECIALLY rabid atheists) are almost extinct species and OFFICIALLY third-class citzens in ALL ways including housing , education, employment, marriage laws, social benefits etc.
Your quote re the fate of Christians in Egypt and Pakistan is an insult to the memory of those Christians who lost their lives in Muslim terrorist attacks on churches in Egypt and Pakistan of late, and to the sentiments of Christian Copts seeking refuge in Malta when fleeing from religious persecution.
Roger Tirazona
Jun 5th 2011, 21:34
...and their persecution was due to their existence in a non-secular environment where the rule of law is based on radical religious ideas and offered no protection and care and tolerance of minority groups as the Maltese nation has shown to have in the divorce referendum.
Ms Lina CARUANA
Jun 5th 2011, 09:57
It has always been said in the winding corridors of the educational establishment that both brains and tough guys originate in Zejtun. That may be the reason why I agree wholeheartedly with the last sentence to strike a balance. Not because I am against the establishment or institutions, certainly not ! But because as it goes the number of wolves in sheep's clothing has risen tremendously infiltrating both parties making the rule of law too liberal for a reasoned democracy. The mind twisting, manipulation and pressure if not harassment has burdened this country with a confused state of mind transmitted by hidden persuaders whose dubious credentials are not so easily recognized by the population at large. I tend to agree on taking a positive proactive stand to safe this country from disarray if only people of a genuine calibre will not give in to a negative spirit towards complacency. It is a time when one can say your country needs you, not to cook more trouble, but to reflect and discern on the sale of ideas which may be nothing but hidden snakes.