Marriage was a permanent union between one man and one woman, open to the gift of life, the bishops said today.

In their pastoral letter they referred to the recent criteria they gave priests to assist couples who found themselves in complex situations, either in their married life, or in their life together.

“We, bishops, are not giving permission to a category of people to receive Communion without going through the necessary process of discernment. In no way do we want to lessen the power of the Lord’s Gospel on the family and marriage.

“At one with the heart of the Pope, we, Bishops, would like to draw the heart of the Church closer to each and every one of you, to each and every one of our brothers and sisters who are going through difficult situations.”

As a Christian community, they said, they were committed to announce marriage as it has been created by God: a permanent union between one man and one woman, open to the gift of life.

“The fact that we care for our brothers and sisters who have made different choices in their affective life, does not in any way detract from the beauty of the Gospel that has been from the very beginning the Gospel of the Joy of love between one man and one woman.”

They also spoke on choices the Maltese society had to face and said they prayed for the Maltese to choose the way that led to life and peace.

The whole letter can be read in the pdf links below. It will be available in sign language later today on the church's  YouTube channel, the Malta Archdiocese website and the website of the Gozo Diocese.