After Bishops' '10pm apology', Iva asks for extended voting time

The pro-divorce lobby Moviment Iva has formally asked the Electoral Commissioner to extend voting times by an hour in the light of a note by the Maltese bishops which express "sorrow" for any words or actions by Church members that may have hurt any of the two sides in the divorce campaign.

At 9:32pm, the Maltese archdiocese made a formal complaint to the Electoral Commissioner asking for legal steps to be taken to "stop with immediate effect" MaltaToday.com.mt for "not respecting" a 10pm press embargo on the bishops' note to the public.

Today MaltaToday revealed that the Maltese Church would tell worshippers and voters of “its sorrow… if anyone felt hurt by any words or action from members of the Church.”

In what reads like a note of apology from the Maltese bishops, that was embargoed for 10pm after voting closes, the Church said it also “unconditionally forgives those we feel have hurt us.”

MaltaToday decided to break the embargo – the first time it has ever broken any press embargo – because of the weight the Church’s apology carries.

“We felt it was in the public interest that the Church’s sense of sorrow over its words and actions was made known to people now, because if the Church felt that an apology is forthcoming, then such apology should have been made earlier on when so many people felt confused and hurt by certain comments,” managing editor Saviour Balzan said.

In the note, Archbishop Paul Cremona and Gozo bishop Mario Grech said their note is “a reflection that is independent from the result”.

“To those who had an active role on both sides, we would like to show you our sorrow if anyone felt hurt by any word or action from members of the Church, as much as we ascertain our unconditional forgiveness for all those we feel have hurt us. Everyone of us must now see, even on a personal basis, where we might have been a source of suffering for others,” the bishops say.

The bishops also said the forthcoming result will be a point of departure by the Church “towards an effort and investment in favour of marriage and the family.”

Describing the campaign as a democratic process, the Church’s leaders say that “too little attention was paid to what the Church was saying”, namely a need to invest more in marriage and the family.

“The Church aims to translate its wishes into ideas and concrete actions through which we would help our youths enter into marriage with a greater sense of obligation, and through which we would support them throughout their journey into married life.”

“The Church always strived to do this for all those who chose to enter into the sacrament of marriage. We vow to engage in deep reflection to see how we can improve our work, so that the Christian family can truly be a strong force of love and stability in the centre of the Church’s life in our society. The Church needs to coordinate all its efforts in order to accompany all married couples on their beautiful yet difficult mission.

“We also appeal to our society as a whole, and to all those who were on the various sides of the spectrum during the referendum, and who contributed their various proposals. We need to ensure that our environment as a whole helps married couples and the family: this also counts for those who marry in the Church because all come from the same environment. We feel that it is particularly important for society to help those who marry civilly, while preparing them for the responsibilities which come with their decision.

“With love and respect to all, we vow to give our contribution as a Church, and pray for this to happen.”