Yet again another staunch Catholic country has given in, to the inevitable pressure that Divorce is a social remedy and a fundamental basic right of each individual whose Marriage has failed, to obtain a solution to dissolve the Marriage without the artificiality suggested by the Catholic Church’s Ecclessiastical Tribunals to annul a Marriage. Ecclessiastical Annulments signify in terms of Law that a perfectly valid marriage is declared to have never been under some legal pretext or otherwise as conjectured by some Monseigneur presiding over these Ecclesiastical Tribunals!

Like a number of very staunch Catholic countries, such as Italy, Spain, Portugal, Republic of Ireland, and many others, Chile has finally seen progress also in this field of private, basic, fundamental rights. The Malta Divorce Movement despite heavy opposition, has always maintained that Divorce is one of those intimate, private, basic, fundamental rights which no politicians of whatever denomination should interfere in, much less Curialists!

On Thursday, November 18th, 2004, Chile’s Divorce Law, which was passed in April 2004, became finally effective, no doubt to the usual moaning opposition from Catholic Monseigneurs who very often see the straw in others but fail to see the beam in their own eyes!

It would now seem that The Philippines (because of logistical problems), and our tiny country are the two remaining ‘staunch’ Catholic countries where there is no Divorce Law for the local citizens and permanent residents (as everyone should by now know a foreign valid Divorce Judgment is recognized in Malta and can be duly registered at our public registry).

Hence the Malta Divorce Movement, The Family Rights’ Association and ALPHA: partit politiku augur that the time is not far, when our stupid, hypocritical, hard headed, self-interested Parliamentarians on both sides of the two major Political Parties will have the sense to pass on the necessary legislation to have a Divorce Law equally among us: otherwise our Government will stand to be put to shame before the rest of Europe and the World for not accepting realities!

Let the people be free to practise whatever faith they want without any further autocratic interferences from the local Malta Curia. Ours is a free and independent state: Divorce is a fundamental right that must be respected and made available to those who may want to have recourse to it!

Your Truly:
Emmy D. Bezzina:
Chairman-ALPHA: partit politiku.