It is arrogant of Archbishop Paul Cremona to moan about his Church not being free to express itself. He fails to realise that people are nowadays more receptive of ideas other than those presented by his folk.

The Church would rather see people suffer on earth for a promise of an eternal heaven rather than live life to the full. Couples in failed marriages (complete with Ta’ Kana certificate) should stay together, same-sex couples should not marry and have families and infertile couples should not try a scientific tool.

Does the Archbishop not realise that most people on these islands are related to or closely know someone who falls in (at least) one of these categories? Does he really expect caring friends and family to be emotionally sadistic and do his bidding rather than see their loved ones happy and fulfilled?

The Church had two millennia to clean up its act and start caring for society instead of being a stumbling block in every matter where human beings gain rights and opportunities for a better life. No one discredits the Church more than itself with its history. What the Archbishop and, later, Bishop Charles Scicluna are asking is not for speaking space but for people to suffer collective amnesia and forget the Church’s blood and deceit-filled past.

Fr Charles Tabone starts on a good footing when defining a secular society but gravely fails when he says that ‘secular’ means “not allowing freedom of worship, attacking and ridiculing those promoting their religious beliefs”. This is blatantly untrue.

As to the Archbishop’s “desire to make our voice heard”, it is his organisation that periodically distributes a propaganda pamphlet to each letter box and that has a radio station. No secular, atheist or humanist entity has such means at their disposal.

So what are these Church leaders moaning about?