The divorce issue keeps rearing its head politically (Labour's leader is in favour), religiously (the Church is against) and among the hoi polloi.

In her letter (February 11) Valerie Borg blames the Church for its intransigence on the matter, saying the "doors of annulment" should be opened much wider. That is to say, she agrees with the Church that divorce "is a scourge", but she wants God to bend His rules so that she can have divorce by another name: dissolution.

What is the difference? She says she abides by her Catholic upbringing which states "what God joined together, no man can put asunder", and then she wants "man" - the clergy - to dissolve a marriage. Divorce by any other name is still divorce, and it is the way out for a failed marriage.

Then we come to Mario Dingli (same letters page) who pleads with all those who favour divorce to "have a look round and see the disasters in the social structure of countries that introduced divorce". He must be blind to the same social structure disasters in Malta brought about by "legal separations"... another word for divorce, but without the same benefits, the difference being that legally separated people in Malta cannot remarry.

Instead, they set up home with a new partner who, unfortunately, is not recognised by the state. Mr Dingli obviously is unaware of the great number of people who have been legally separated, and are now living happily within a new family.

In the late 1950s, as a clerk at the then Superior Courts dealing with the case-load for Judge A.V. Camilleri, I witnessed scores of separation cases on a weekly basis.

Some of the respondents went on to live an unhappy solitary life because of their religious beliefs, while others chose to start a new life with a new partner.

Let us not judge (lest we be judged) those whose marriages have unfortunately failed and have tried again. We all deserve some happiness in the short life we have on this earth.