Bishops sound Christmastime warning on MPs’ recommendations on IVF

Bishops' pastoral for first Sunday of Advent calendar issues veiled warning over proposals to legislation on IVF that "do not reflect Christian ethos".

27 November 2010, 12:00am
by Matthew Vella

3 min read

Archbishop Paul Cremona and Gozo bishop Mario Grech have sounded an early alert from the Church on future legal developments on the regulation of in vitro fertilisation (IVF), or artificial insemination.

Referring to a report to lawmakers by MPs in a select committee for IVF that recommends the freezing and storage of embroyos, the bishops posed a rhetorical question in their pastoral message that implied their resistance to the ideas being put forward on an IVF law in Malta.

“How can we carry on insisting that children are at the centre of our social and civil life if we condone the freezing of embryos when in other countries, this has ultimately resulted in the killing of embryos? How can we not offer the child who is born solely through technological aids the same ambience as the child who has been born to a couple who have committed themselves to a stable marriage?” the bishops ask, in the letter to be read in all Churches tomorrow.

The bishops say that it has become “common” to use technology for the conception of babies, and that it is “easy to confuse the primacy of the baby with the desires of parents.”

“We would like to make it clear that we are referring only to the consequences which may be suffered by the children themselves and not to the moral aspect.

“We need to ensure that the choice made in favour of the baby is a pure and holy one. Once this choice is left in our hands, in the hands of technology, we need to check whether there are any of its rights which are being violated... For us Christians, every right which is afforded to an adult person should also be afforded to a baby in the womb and to children.”

The Bishops will say that Christmastime offers a time for reflection the family, exemplified by Baby Jesus and his mother Mary, and his putative father Joseph. At the same time, they express concern for children born to single mothers or in broken marriages.

“As Christians, we do not judge people in these situations, but we view it as a challenge to love and contribute our share towards bettering our society for our children. We need to strive harder so that this crib – a baby flanked by a father and a mother – is not tarnished for us humans, for every child!”

But they also warn that “where proposals to legislation are concerned” – another reference to the IVF report by MPs Jean-Pierre Farrugia, Michael Farrugia, and Frans Agius – it is not always the case that “children are declared to be the focal point of our reflections… These do not always reflect the Christian ethos and are not always for the benefit of children.”

“During this Christmas, we call upon all those who choose to be inspired by Jesus to connect their spiritual joy at the birth of Jesus – during midnight mass, through the setting up of a crib or a Baby Jesus in the home – with the joy of every new born baby and children in our communities. May we pledge to do our utmost in order that our own family and other families may be strengthened.”

Matthew Vella, a freelance journalist at MaltaToday, was formerly executive editor at Malt...

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The first article of Malta’s constitution proclaims “respect for the fundamental rights and freedoms of the individual”. The second makes Roman Catholicism the state religion.... This microstate off the coast of Sicily may well have more concordats per head than any other country in the world. During the pontificate of John Paul II alone, it acquired 8 more. Its history explains this close connection with the Catholic Church. In 1530 the islands were given to the Knights of Malta in perpetual fiefdom in exchange for an annual fee of a single Maltese falcon. A century later the Grand Master of this order was awarded equality with a cardinal of the Catholic Church. He was henceforth addressed not just as “Your Majesty”, like a king or “Your Eminence” like a cardinal, but as “Your Most Eminent Highness” — a title which showed the seamless unity of church and state in Malta. Even today, church and state are intertwined: Catholicism is the state religion (as it is in three other tiny European states: Lichtenstein, Monaco and San Marino). Malta’s Constitution enshrines this in Article 2: 1.The religion of Malta is the Roman Catholic Apostolic Religion. 2.The authorities of the Roman Catholic Apostolic Church have the duty and the right to teach which principles are right and which are wrong. 3.Religious teaching of the Roman Catholic Apostolic Faith shall be provided in all State schools as part of compulsory education. In accordance with this, Malta secured an exemption when it joined the European Union (Protocol 7) in order to maintain its absolute ban on abortion.

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****The Bishops will say that Christmastime offers a time for reflection the family, exemplified by Baby Jesus and his mother Mary, and his putative father Joseph. At the same time, they express concern for children born to single mothers or in broken marriages.**** lol YOU ARE SO RIDICOLOUS :) only fools will go to that :) how about those, one call good marriages and are not?:) what about those children who have to stay in so call forced marriage - wife abused or man abused- fighting , cheating, beating, physical or sexually etc.. what about kids seeing those ? everybody knows that half of the abuses are never reported. and in Malta when we live alltogheter no space cause if one farts all will know, we all know what is really happening here.

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The main issue here can be found in Chapter 1, Article 2 (2) of the Maltese constitution: "The authorities of the Roman Catholic apostolic church have the duty and the right to teach which principles are right and which are wrong." Whilst the constitution does allow freedom of religion, it also establishes Catholicism as the official state religion. OUR POLITICIANS SUCKS- LEAVE THEM TO DO WHAT THEY WANT SO THEY FEEL LIKE A GODLIKE- WELL WHAT HAS A BEGINNING HAS AN END- ALL WILL CHANGE THE HUMAN NATURE IS ALWAYS CHANGING AND BY THE TIME IT WILL BE, NONE OF YOU GOD-LIKE WILL BE LIVING ANYMORE

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I don't belive in any entity God. and if there was, I would never adhore him when he done so much atrocities and is more EVIL than the nazi- when he says that he is the father of the people and who till the end does not redeem bla bla bla has ETERNAL CONDEMNATION- who would do that to his child giving him eternal deat- disgusting. slaughtered all the babies of Egypt in "Exodus" and ordered the elimination of entire ethnic groups in "Joshua" including women, children, and trees! God now commands that all women must have health hazardous labors for Eve ate the fruit. In no way shape or form is it just that I must pay for the sins of my ancestors. Genesis 3:16 God caused sibling rivalry by favoring Abel over Cain, with absolutely no attempt at justification. This act of favoritism led to Abel’s death. Genesis 4:3-5 Genesis 7:23 He killed, intentionally, every man, woman, and child on the planet save eight of them. God commands Hagar go back into servanthood and bear children for her master though she does not want to. Genesis 16:7-9 Genesis 19:23-25 God burns down a whole city (women and children included) simply because they were supposedly homosexual. Er, Judah’s firstborn, was wicked in the sight of the Lord; and that the Lord slew him. How was Er wicked? The Bible doesn’t give us this bit of information, only that Er was wicked in the sight of the Lord. Genesis 38:7 Genesis 38:10 God murders Onan for refusing to commit incest with his sister in law. Exodus 12:29 God repeatedly tells Moses exactly what calamity he will next visit upon the Egyptians if the Pharaoh does not allow the Israelites to be set free from slavery. Then he tells Moses (also repeatedly) that he will harden Pharaoh’s heart, so that he will refuse to allow the Israelites to go, thus bringing a calamity upon his own people, as well as showing him the awesome power of the Israelites’ Lord. This occurs over and over, bringing calamity upon calamity upon the Egyptian people. What is troubling about this verse is that when god “hardens the pharaoh’s heart” he is interfering with the Pharaoh’s free will and ultimately bringing punishment on the Egyptians for something they are not responsible for. As a final punishment god decides to kill all the first born of Egypt. The lord reduced himself to murdering innocent kids when he could have simply freed the Israelites himself with his “omnipotent” power. God punishes children for the sins of their fathers, unto the third and fourth generations. Punishing a child for the sins of their ancestors is not very just. Exodus 20:5&34:7 God endorses slavery. He even set up laws as to how slavery was to be carried out, and goes as far as Okaying beating them. Exodus 21:2-6 God sanctioned the selling of ones daughter. How can any being tell another to literally sell their child into slavery? Disgusting! Exodus 21:7 Exodus 22:18 God orders the death of witches, sorceresses and anyone who practices magic. Sadly enough, this verse was justification for the Inquisition well never ending - disgusting

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How come this person is not in prison for helping child molesters continue their perversion. Why are we getting morality lessons from this person. What does the bible say about having no shame and speaking false words in the name of god to pursue one's ambitions, lust and greed. How come he does not speak up against the corruption and perversion of democracy in this country? God may work in mysterious ways, but then so does the devil.

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I also ask: is seven years to investigate child abuse putting the interests of the child at the core of your responsibilities?

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The Church should teach by example. It should put the interests of the child at the core of its so-called investigations into child abuse. It does not. What comes first here is its reputation. A serious archbishop would report all such abuses to the secular authorities as such reporting is what discourages the clergy from committing these crimes. As long as they continue to have the protection of the Church and State such abuses will continue on. And do not fool yourselves - the Church does provide protection to paedophile priests. How many has it defrocked? But Cremona was quick to act on Mark Montebello. As far as sin is concerned, the Church can do what it wants. As far as criminal activitiy, the Church has no role whatsoever in this area.