It has been reported on the Times of Malta website (July 5) that in the debate before the first vote on gay marriage was taken, Simon Busuttil claimed that the Nationalist Party did not speak for the Church and that   it sought to represent all of society.

We all understand that political parties, including the PN, do not speak for the Church but this does not imply that political parties and their MPs are not allowed to heed the teachings of the Church.

As is well-defined in Catholic social teaching, the mutual autonomy of the Church and the political community do not entail a separation that excludes cooperation. It seems that, because there is separation of powers, consulting the teachings of the Church by politicians is becoming anathema.

Though the social doctrine of the Church is based on the gospel and the encyclicals of various popes throughout the ages, its primary aim is the dignity of the human person and the common good. In a country like Malta, where the majority of citizens are Catholic, even though living in a secular and pluralistic society, one cannot understand why politicians are reluctant to coordinate with the Church and learn from its rich, social doctrine when discussing social issues.

In his address to politicians at Westminster Hall (2010), Pope Emeritus Benedict said that “the role of religion in political debate is to help purify and shed light upon the application of reason to the discovery of objective moral principles”.

“Religion,” he stressed, “is not a problem for legislators to solve but a vital contribution to the national conversation.”

Let us dialogue with the Church, not to impose one’s morality on others but to have a clearer, deeper and vaster understanding of the human person, the world we live in and the common good.