Our story today about couples who have successfully given birth following IVF intervention ironically reflects the sad state of affairs.
The fact that those commenting about their IVF experience remain nameless means one of two things.
It shows to a large extent that couples are reluctant to publicly expose their fertility problems, perfectly understandable in a small country like Malta.
But it also reflects the wish of parents to remain anonymous because IVF remains a taboo subject, even if couples are resorting to a legal procedure practised in Malta for decades.
Sadly, these same couples could only protest silently when they heard our bishops describing the IVF procedure as “morally wrong”, and worse, “a threat to human life”. With the stroke of a pen they reminded those yearning to raise a child for the most genuine of intentions that what they were doing could actually be a threat to human life.
The Cana Movement adopted an even more militant tone and last Friday absurdly warned that IVF legalisation in other countries had opened the way for abortion.
The Church’s internal rift following the wording of the pastoral letter came out in the open when some priests refused to read it out during Sunday Mass. For all their good intentions, the bishops indirectly demonised couples who resorted to IVF through the tone and the spirit of the pastoral letter. The comments by couples on page 6 and 7 today amply reflects that.
As respected academic and media specialist Fr Joe Borg aptly puts it in his column today: “We have learnt the wrong lessons from the divorce referendum campaign and we are rushing into repeating the same mistakes on the IVF issue.”
Society has changed. As amply evidenced by last year’s divorce referendum, many do not choose to abide by the Church’s instructions, as good as its intentions may be.
Cardinal Prospero Grech rightly said last Tuesday that the Church should be guided by what is right and wrong and not by “votes”. It would be tragic for the Church to ride on popular sentiment.
But it needs to get its message across through education and not outdated preaching, or worse, condescending statements which hurt the feelings of those going through such a psychologically traumatic period. It should also keep an eye on certain priests who have veered wildly into conservative territory through their sermons.
The Church has to consult from within. Last Sunday’s unofficial boycott from the pulpit showed there are still unresolved tensions between modernists and traditionalists within the Church structures.
Clerics like Fr Borg and leading theologian Fr René Camilleri only want the best for the institution to remain as relevant as possible in an increasingly cynical society.
More than ever, many Maltese, especially the younger generation, have liberal aspirations guided by human rights. And that means they also expect the government to be secular.
The Church released its controversial statement just one day before the government published the long-awaited IVF Bill on July 26. This was interpreted by many as a way of trying to coerce the government to come in line with its beliefs on the matter.
With a Bill on cohabitation finally seeing the light of day, the Church should start doing its homework from now to ensure it does not end up with another public relations disaster.
Meanwhile, the government’s job is to listen to all sides (and that includes the Church) before seeking the best possible solution for a society that should not remain nameless.