Monday, 10 February 2014, 15:07 - UPDATE 1
Gabi Calleja - the coordinator of the Malta Gay Rights Movement – told The Malta Independent that the Church is entitled to its opinion and hopes that politicians do not use the same line of thinking as the Church and to base their thinking on human rights and secular beliefs rather than religious faith.
Ms Calleja was reacting to Canon Lawrence Zammit’s sermon during Pontifical Mass to celebrate the feast of Saint Paul’s Shipwreck, in which he spoke out against gay marriage and partnerships.
The three-hour ceremony, held in Valletta, was attended by President of the Republic George Abela, Prime Minister Joseph Muscat, and the leader of the Opposition Simon Busuttil. All three led the congregation.
Fr Zammit spoke about the challenges the Church was facing, lifestyles which were undermining traditional values and which excluded the Lord, such as the value of marriage between a man and a woman, hitting out at same-sex marriages and partnerships.
He noted that same-sex marriage existed in 30 countries and “I pray to God and St Paul that Malta would not be the next in line”, urging MPs to safeguard Malta’s traditional and religious heritage. He hit out strongly at same-sex marriages and partnerships, noting that, as Pope Francis had said, this was an anthropological issue and a regression.
Ms Calleja said that as a movement, the MGRM strongly disagrees with the Church when it states that homosexual acts are intrinsically disordered.
“Until the church holds this position, one will continue to witness sermons of this sort,” she said.
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