According to Vatican Council II, in matters of faith and morals, the bishops speak in the name of Christ and the faithful are to accept their teaching and adhere to it with a religious assent of soul (Dogmatic Constitution On The Church, 25).

With this in mind, members of the Church must have been very anxious to know what the Maltese bishops had to say when members of the clergy started sending mixed messages, if not taking issue with one another, on matters concerning such an important and delicate subject as marriage and divorce.

The bishops in fact issued a pastoral note on marriage and the family, “meant to convey the position of the Catholic Church for those who look towards the Church for direction” and to share the Church’s outlook “with Maltese society at large”.

In the note, as expected, the bishops reiterated the Church’s teaching on the indissolubility of marriage as a natural institution and also as a sacramental one. They also urged committed members of the Church, both on a personal level, according to one’s state in life and responsibility in society, and in ecclesial groups, to contribute and do so positively to the debate that is now taking place. Moreover, they fittingly asked everybody “not to distort the love for each person ingrained in the Christian message by embarking on some kind of crusade, even in the case of clear signs of provocation”.

The timely pastoral guidance in this note was appreciated. However, although stating that every Christian is accountable before the Lord for his/her every action, the note stops short from addressing directly the very delicate conscience-related issue the recent debate has generated, namely whether, according to the Church’s official teaching, voting in favour of divorce, say in a referendum or, indirectly, in an election, is a sin and whether a member of Parliament can vote for divorce without sinning seriously against God.

It has been argued that, if research showed divorce was beneficial for the common good, a Catholic politician can, according to his conscience, vote for its introduction. Unfortunately, there is no official and unequivocal guidance from the bishops about which stand is correct. Such clear guidance, perhaps also through correcting whatever might not correspond to authentic Church teaching, would help to eliminate all possible misconceptions and confusion.

Members of the Church have every right to expect being informed on how the Church expects them to behave if and when faced with such a delicate issue, where the believer and the citizen might feel to be divided one against the other within the same individual. Clear guidance by the Church is crucial to help one make an informed decision.

Pope Benedict XVI is on record saying that, as preachers of the Gospel and leaders of the Catholic community, bishops are called to participate in the exchange of ideas in the public square, helping to shape cultural attitudes. He adds that, in a context where free speech is valued and where vigorous and honest debate is encouraged, theirs is a respected voice that has much to offer to the discussion of the pressing social and moral questions of the day.

Furthermore, acknowledging that it cannot be assumed that all Catholic citizens think in harmony with the Church’s teaching on today’s key ethical questions, the Holy Father states that it falls on the bishops “to ensure that the moral formation provided at every level of ecclesial life reflects the authentic teaching of the Gospel of life”.