What’s done cannot be undone. With the introduction of same-sex marriage in Malta (call it what you will, but this is what the new legislation ultimately boils down to), the State has introduced a new, official definition of marriage which is wholly out of keeping with that of traditional society; it has changed the pre-existing social and cultural understanding of marriage forever.

It has done this in an attempt to pander to the wishes of a few minority groups in exchange for a political victory and the price for that victory is the destruction of marriage’s core meaning.

At the heart of the conjugal relationship, there have always been two conditions – those of perma­nance and fidelity – both conditions designed to support the bearing and rearing of children. With the introduction of divorce legislation, these two conditions were already seriously under­mined, to the detriment of those same children.

Unfortunately, the main victims remain the children, who are the ones most likely to benefit by being raised by biological parents in a stable environment. The fact that some marriages are childless does not detract from this understanding.

There are those who would say that ‘love’ is what marriage is all about. But love (as sentiment) alone is not enough to understand and partake of the richer, deeper meaning of marriage. This new version of marriage – the union of two people, whatever their gender – has stripped the conjugal relationship of it’s goal, it’s telos, which makes it what it is.

By no means is this letter meant to be anti-gay. Same-sex couples are just as worthy and capable of buil­ding loving and committed rela­tionships as are heterosexuals; but marriage is a different kettle of fish.

But maybe not all is lost. At this point in time, it may seem that the sky is falling in on the revered institution of marriage. However, drawing upon the experience of some other countries, where over time, civil marriage has come to be seen as insignificant, with the result that fewer people are marrying in these countries, it could well be that this is a prime opportunity to defend and uphold the sanctity of sacramental marriage.

We may now have an opportunity to recover this key institution of human society and re-build upon firmer ground.

Maybe the time has come to delve deeper into our Cath­olic roots and discover the intrinsic beauty and permanance of marriage cele­brated as a sacrament, marriage as it was created to be: between one man and one woman, as a relationship grounded upon permanence and fidelity, at the heart of which is an honest sexual encounter that serves to enhance the spouses’ love and commitment to one another and which also bears fruit.