24.7.9 by Dr Inġ. Patrick Attard
On Sunday 19th July during a Pontifical Mass in Victoria, Gozo he claimed that some are "playing with the nature of marriage, ... who maintained it could be celebrated by a couple of the same sex". (as reported on the Times 24/7/2009 Gozo Bishop expresses doubts on sexual
health policy).
It is very frustrating that the Bishop doesn't understand the RIGHT for a gay man to be at the bed-side of his beloved partner during illness, and be able to take care of him by granting urgent-family leave. The civil partnership GIVES the right to stay by the bedside of your loved one when he needs it most. it gives you the visitation rights, the right for urgent family leave from work, the right to take medical-related decisions in case he/she is unable to do so, the right for bereavement leave when he/she dies and the right to organise a funeral. These are all rights which no-one likes to think about and are taken for granted - but what happens if you are left out of the hospital ward because you are just a friend if a serious accident occurs. What if the Community Chest fund gives no funds to poor gay couples with one suffering from terminal cancer (ask Peppi Azzopardi for story - Xarabank 30 Jan 2009). The civil partnership/gay marriage is about spending the rest of your life with the loved one and these events can happen. It is not about the Institution of Marriage or to try and ridicule the Church's teaching but the Church (and the close alliance with GONZIpn) is the biggest obstacle in Malta.
Wouldn't a real Christian try to alleviate the pain and suffering during the most difficult time of life. It once again confirms the Bishop's lack of knowledge on the subject. It is his duty to inform
himself before preaching on the topic.
Whilst Mgr Grech asks for forgiveness in case of child abuse by the clergy, yet he is the first to ask for a harsh sentence for a person who dresses up as a religious figure in carnival.
Bishop Grech should understand the importance of contraception due to the multiplication effect which such diseases have. If Mgr Grech dealt with some mathematics and the principle of conditional probablilty he would understand that a very grave scenario can appear in the Maltese islands in less than 20 years.
Mgr Grech is probably against the decriminalisation of homosexuality, which was fiercely opposed by Archbishop Mgr Michael Gonzi in 1972.
His lack of knowledge yet again confirm he lacks the compassion and empathy which define a real Catholic and is unfit to preach on sexuality.
I like the points you draw on the level of rights. It really shows the dynamics and the realities of the issue of equality with respect to LGBT minorities.
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