Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/647574
maltatoday, WEDNESDAY, 2 MARCH 2016 5 THE Catholic Church's doctrine on homosexuality is "nonsensi- cal" and its stance against the proposed criminalisation of gay conversion therapy is f lawed, Fr Rene Camilleri said. "The Catholic Church's doc- trine still refers to homosexual- ity in terms of it being an illness or a disorder," Camilleri said in an interview aired on Monday night's edition of 'Reporter'. "Speaking like that in today's so- ciety is simply nonsensical," he said. Camilleri, the head of the Cu- ria's secretariat for catechesis, criticised the Maltese Church's recent controversial position pa- per that took a stance against a Bill to criminalise LGBT+ con- version 'therapy'. "The Church has long been accustomed to keeping silent on major national issues, but [Archbishop] Charles Scicluna's strategy is to request position papers on such issues so that the Church can take a stance. "My objection to this position paper is that it seems as though the Church still believes that it is possible to convert ho- mosexuals, which is un- acceptable to me." The outspoken priest, who has in the past backed the rights of ho- mosexual couples to adopt children, threw his weight behind the gov- ernment's bill, arguing that "we cannot accept the presence of gay conversion therapy on the market in this day and age." He added that the Church's "technical" position paper left a lot of room for misinter- pretation, such as when it claimed that criminalising conversion therapy would "make it a crime to as- sist paedophiles whose condition is manifested in same-sex behaviour". "I have my doubts as to the pa- per's intended target audience, but if it was addressed to the general public, then mentioning paedophilia in such a delicate topic was always going to leave room for misinterpretation." 'Clear that Church still favours heterosexuality – MGRM coordinator As the main guest on the pro- gramme, Malta Gay Rights Movement coordinator Gabi Calleja said that the Church's position paper indicates that it still favours heterosexuality over homosexuality. "The Church's stance on ho- mosexuality hasn't changed, and it still considers it to be an intrinsic disorder or even intrin- sically evil," she told programme host Saviour Balzan. "Yet the very notion that a person's sex- ual orientation is a quality that can and should be changed goes against the experience of several LGBT+ people who weren't con- verted, but rather grew to recog- nize their sexual orientation." She argued that the Bill will not stop pastors or priests from attempting conversion therapy on consenting adults, but will rather prohibit professionals – such as doctors, psychiatrists and psychologists – from doing so. "We believe that professionals should have clear ethical guide- lines, and they should not be al- lowed to work on the principle that therapy can change some- body's sexuality." When asked, Calleja said that the MGRM's next three lobby- ing challenges would be for full marriage equality, for the revi- sion of the Embryo Protection Act, and for the extension of the Equality Act. However, while she hailed rel- evantly recent legislation on civil unions and gender identity rights, she warned that society is not yet truly conducive to LG- BT+ people. "Some people still find it diffi- cult to come out, due to resist- ance from peers and family, and the word 'pufta' is still used as an insult in schools," she said. "Get- ting laws passed in Parliament is one thing, but implementing it in practice is another thing alto- gether." News Housing Authority Tenders - Call for 3 Tenders 1. Repair and Refurbishment Works in Common Parts of Blocks Nos. 22 and 35, St. Joseph Street, Valletta using Environmentally Friendly Paints (Ref. TWO 1/2016). A meeting on site shall be held on 9th March 2016 at 9.30am. 2. Structural Repairs in Government Tenements in Various Localities in Malta & Gozo using Environmentally Friendly Paints (Ref. TWO 2/2016). 3. 3. Rooong Works Phase 1 – "Fuq Verdala" Housing Blocks, Cospicua (Ref. TWO 3/2016). A meeting on site shall be held on 8th March 2016 at 10.00am. Offers close on 5th April 2016 at 09.30hrs. Tender document is to be viewed/downloaded and submitted ONLY through the e-tenders website on http://www.etenders.gov.mt. Priest hits out at Church's 'nonsensical' doctrine on homosexuality Poverty 'an invisible but ugly reality', Child Commissioner warns TIM DIACONO THERE are children in Malta who are materially deprived, which leaves them socially excluded from their peers, child commis- sioner Pauline Miceli warned. "Poverty may be invisible in Malta, but it is an ugly reality that affects children and elderly peo- ple most," Miceli said on Monday night's edition of Reporter. "Some children are materially deprived, some are unable to afford a holi- day, and this leaves them excluded from their peer groups. Unfortu- nately, the reality is that every- thing costs money in this day and age." Not one to mince her words, the former headmistress of the Giovanni Curmi Higher Second- ary School reiterated that the use of children in fundraising cam- paigns, such as l-Istrina, is "pa- thetic". "It hurt me listening to continu- ous TV and radio adverts that used children to convince people to donate money," she told pro- gramme host Saviour Balzan. "If children need care, then it follows that they have a right to care and should be granted it. "However, the tone of the chil- dren's voices in the adverts speaks volumes, and indeed it took me back some 40 years ago when nuns used to go with child orphans to beg for money. Should we once again expose children to this un- dignified behaviour?" She added that the Commission is drawing up guidelines on the use of children in election cam- paigns, that will be presented to the political parties before the end of the year. "I think the political parties agree on the need for guidelines in this regard," she said. "We must be particularly careful in the current age of social media, as pictures that are uploaded on- line can stay there forever. "Pictures of children in certain poses can be used and manipu- lated, and damage the children in those photographs." 'New entertainment zones for youth needed' Miceli urged the authorities and local councils to create new enter- tainment zones for youths within communities, that could serve as alternatives to Paceville. "Every local council complains about young people vandalising playgrounds," she said, draw- ing on her experience as Naxxar councillor. "However, their solu- tion tends to be to close the play- grounds without creating alterna- tives for youths who want to meet up with their friends within com- munities." Pauline Miceli reiterated that use of children in fundraising campaigns such as l-Istrina is 'pathetic'