Although the vision of the creator on marriage and sexuality was different from that presented in the law, the Christian Community retained the duty to show pastoral love to all and the doors of the church would remain open to those genuinely seeking the Lord, the bishops.

In a statement issued this afternoon, two days after Parliament approved civil unions, Archbishop Paul Cremona, Gozo bishop Mario Grech and auxiliary bishop Charles Scicluna called on society to continue to give preference to the natural family built on marriage between man and woman.

The family where a father and a mother driven by genuine love, procreated with love and made sacrifices to educate their children, was an indispensable resource for the nation, they said.

The bishops noted that there was still strong sensibility in favour of children, both those who were with their natural parents as well as those who were adopted.

“It is our duty to ensure that we have good legal instruments for the rights and interests of children to be respected by all.”

They said that one had to ensure that parents’ interest in their children was only be motivated by a wish to satisfy the real needs of their children.

No one could remove the differences and sexual complementarity between a man and a woman. The relationship of a homosexual couple was, by its nature, completely different to a heterosexual one. The fundamental rights of every person, irrelevant of their orientation, should always be safeguarded by the legislation, they said.

The bishops said that now that Malta had introduced civil unions they hopes the state would increase its work to strengthen families borne out of unity between man and woman in marriage.

They encouraged Christians and all of good will to trust in God and grow in conformity to his will.