Archbishop Paul Cremona this morning underlined the importance of marriage based around a man and a woman and said this needed to be preserved by society.

Speaking as he greeted members of the public to exchange new year greetings, Mgr Cremona noted that today is the feast of the holy family of Nazareth. This, he said, reminded the faithful of the dignity of the family which the Lord had built around a man and a woman and the procreation of children.

Since the Church was not cut off from the world, it had a duty to speak about  what affected society. Marriage between a man and a woman had to be respected, Mgr Cremona said.

The Church had nothing against gays and those who thought differently, but it had a duty to express its concerns about gay adoptions  and civil unions and the need to protect marriage in the interests of a better country and a better world.

Mgr Cremona was accompanied by Auxiliary Bishop Charles Scicluna.