Malta’s parliament legalizes divorce

(July 27, 2011) The parliament of Malta, one of the world’s few officially Catholic nations, has legalized divorce, following its approval by 53% of voters in a May referendum. The nation’s bishops had spoken against the measure, prior to the referendum, as had Pope Benedict XVI during his apostolic visit to the nation in 2010.. The vote was also a blow to the ruling Nationalist Party, which had opposed divorce ahead of the referendum.
Marthese Borg, vice-president of the Cana Movement, a voluntary organisation within the Catholic Church of Malta that promotes family life, spoke about the challenges for her organisation, now that the legislation has been passed. She said “As a movement, we feel our greatest challenge now is to work on preparation for engaged couples.” The law takes effect in October, after Malta's president signs it.