The marriage of 20 cohabiting couples at the Vatican on Sunday may have been viewed as a sign of a papal shift by many Church observers but two top clergymen in Malta believe this is “no big news”.

Auxiliary Bishop Charles Scicluna and theologian Fr Renè Camilleri were not surprised by the move as they felt it was common practice in the Church, even in Malta, to bless the marriage of cohabiting couples.

Asked whether he felt this was a sign of a more liberal approach by the Holy See, which the Church in Malta should follow, Mgr Scicluna played things down and while acknowledging that Sunday’s was a “beautiful ceremony”, he noted it was nothing extraordinary in itself.

“It is standard pastoral practice, also in Malta, to invite couples not impeded according to Church law to have their union blessed by the Church,” Mgr Scicluna said.

Read more in Times of Malta.

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