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'God is against divorce', says massive billboard as JPO enters Zebbug band club
A billboard with the wording 'God is against Divorce' greeted the Nationalist backbencher who has proposed a private member's bill for the introduction of divorce.
Updated with correction
The temperature is rising. But in this case the mercury is rising for the anti-divorce lobby. Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando was this morning greeted with a billboard as he was entering a Zebbug band club. The billboard, with the writing 'God is against Divorce', was on the Zebbug church parvis.
Pullicino Orlando has moved a private members bill for the introduction of divorce. He hails from the conservative Nationalist party which has traditionally always opposed divorce. Malta is the only EU country to ban divorce. Yet it recognises divorces registered and obtained abroad, and also recognises church annulments.
Malta also has an increasing rate of separations and thousands of couples cohabit and raise children from their new relationships. Malta does not even have a co-habitation legal framework, and the Nationalist party has been dragging its feet on the matter for the last ten years, but a bill regulating these partnerships is now in the offing. Just under 1 in 4 of marriages ends up in separation.
The Maltese Roman Catholic Church still has a hold on public opinion and both the Labour party and Nationalist party have been wary to raise the subject. However PL leader Joseph Muscat, has promised that he will allow for a free vote by Labour MPs if he gets to present a divorce law in parliament. But not all Labour MPs will back a divorce bill, though the vast majority would.
Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi is opposed to the introduction of divorce. Yet he has hinted that he may hold a referendum on the subject. Today MaltaToday publishes a survey which confirms certain trends in favour of the introduction of divorce.
Patrick Calleja •
If my memory serves me right it is ok for prophets to divorce-but not for ordinary mortals!
Alfred Galea •
You guys should be worried about whether the PM will give the his MPs, the people YOU ELECTED, a free vote if it comes to a vote in the House and not on a sign outside a church.
YOU voted for them and they should be looking after you....you didn't vote for the church or God, and like JRZ said, He has no vote.
Albert Zammit •
Reading some of the comments here, I think that we are being a little bit too frivolous ... we should be careful how to put our words, especially those who have - or should have - experience in the art of writing. Karl Schembri, you're OTT. Think before you write.
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I couldn't help laughing that the sign is sponsored by business.
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...another billboard comes to mind huh!
@ Church authorities...pls grow up.
carmel duca •
... OK, so what does God want me to buy? Xbox, Wii or PS2?
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this is an interesting story about the greatest coward in Christian History: http://malta-exposed.blogspot.com/2010/07/pontius-pilate-and-divorce.html
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The church is against divorce but by the way things are going it condones cohabitation . Has the Curia been alerted of such thing regarding a monk and a separated woman in the Pieta area?
Alfred Galea •
An exclamation mark is like laughing at your own jokes.
—F. Scott Fitzgerald
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Joe didn't you see the exclamation mark at the end of my comment?!!!
Alfred Galea •
Did any of you guys ask God what he thinks about divorce?? Where did you hear Him say he does not want divorce??
Torque, who told you that the Bible is the word of God??
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God may not want divorce but he wants us to burn witches, stone adulterers, and cast out lepers massacre whole nations including women children and old people along with their animals and much more...this is all in the bible and the bible is the word of God!
Charles Gauci •
http://www.akkuza.com/2010/07/18/breaking-news-god-has-no-vote/
Alfred Galea •
Divorce is a civil matter. It's Parliament that has to decide whether to enact a law allowing divorce in Malta. The RCC has a right to express its opinion like every other organisation/political party/individual.
So just stop attacking the RCC/God....it is getting to be boring, reading the same crap over and over.
Anton Portelli •
God is also against the 'Festi ' at least how we celebrate them.
carmel duca •
Nice to know the Zebbug band club has the authority to speak on behalf of God Almighty. I suppose we can now disband our law courts, police, government, etc, and just refer all decisions to the Zebbug band club president instead.
FRANK MUSCAT •
He's neither an MP nor a Maltese citizen so his opinion is irrelevant
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If God wanted marriages to indissoluble why did he not make unbreakable?
Keith Goodlip •
God is against divorce.
So where did GOD write this down?
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Hon Dr Pullicino Orlando let the Church stick as many placards as it wants in it's churches has full right to do that BUT NO RIGHT AT ALL to inferfere in
our lives and how we run it so carry on with yr Divorce crusade as you have the majority of us behind us - just all at the opinions polls already taken by llocal newspapers and u have your answer
If the holy church keeps on intering it is only telling not to put foot in our churches anymore and never to get married in church if that's what it wants so be it - just look around you and will learn how today's generation think of our third political party being our Heavenly Church soon you will no one to second you anymore as people are fed up with your maltese system - look at europe no roman catholic church mingles it's institution into politics but ours no - has always been like that but it will stop rest assured
