Ittra mill-Isqfijiet ta’ Malta u Għawdex mibgħuta lbieraħ, 1 ta’ Diċembru 2022, lill-membri parlamentari dwar l-emenda proposta fil-Liġi ta’ Malta dwar it-terminazzjoni tat-tqala.

Onorevoli,

Nixtiequ nuru l-preokkupazzjoni kbira tagħna, flimkien ma’ tant nies oħra, dwar l-Abbozz ta’ Liġi numru 28 tal-2022 li jemenda l-Kodiċi Kriminali, Kap. 9, u li jekk approvat kif inhu mill-Parlament, iddaħħal l-abort f’Malta.

Skont kif kien intqal uffiċjalment, l-oriġini ta’ din l-emenda kienet ixxewqa li, f’każ li tabib jagħmel intervent mediku biex isalva l-ħajja tal-omm li tkun f’periklu li tmut, u minħabba dan l-intervent tmut it-tarbija, it-tabib u l-omm ma jkunux suġġetti għal passi kriminali kontrihom. Aħna nafu li għal snin twal qatt ma kien hemm problema f’dan. Dejjem sar kull sforz biex jiġu salvati l-ħajja tal-omm u tat-tarbija u, fejn mhux possibbli li jkunu salvati t-tnejn, tiġi salvata l-ħajja tal-omm. Fir-realtà ma kienx hemm bżonn ta’ bidla fil-liġi, imma ntqal li l-emenda tressqet biex l-affarijiet ikunu ċari legalment.

L-emenda mressqa ma tagħmilx dan. Tintroduċi xi ħaġa differenti. Ma titkellimx biss fuq li ssalva l-ħajja talomm li tkun f’periklu li tmut, imma titkellem ukoll fuq li telimina ħajja ġdida biex tħares is-saħħa tal-omm. Din l-emenda ddaħħal labort, bħalma turina b’mod tant ċar l-istorja ta’ diversi pajjiżi li daħħlu l-abort blużu tal-kelma “saħħa”, b’riżultati koroh immens ta’ qerda ta’ ħajja umana. L-emenda qed tgħid li biex tħares is-saħħa ta’ xi ħadd, li mhux fil-periklu talmewt, tista’ toqtol il-ħajja ta’ ħaddieħor. Din hi gravi ħafna. Fejn is-saħħa teħtieġ kura, għandna naħdmu bis-sħiħ biex tingħata kura; fejn l-omm għandha diffikultà ta’ tip jew ieħor, għandha ssib l-appoġġ u s-sostenn li teħtieġ. Imma qatt ma tħares is-saħħa ta’ xi ħadd billi toqtol il-ħajja ta’ ħaddieħor.

Li jħoll u jorbot mhuwiex dak li jingħad bil-kliem imma dak li hemm miktub fl-Abbozz ta’ liġi, kif ifissru tajjeb l-esperti tal-liġi, li juru li l-emenda, kif miktuba, iddaħħal l-abort u tagħti lok li dan isir sat-twelid. 

Nagħmlulek appell ħerqan: agħraf ir-responsabbiltà kbira li ġġorr fuq spallejk li ssalva l-ħajja, mhux teqridha. Fit-tnissil hemm ħajja umana ġdida. Din għandha tiġi mħarsa. Fil-ġuf tal-omm ma hemmx xi ħaġa imma hemm xi ħadd. Mhijiex xi ħaġa li tista’ tarmiha jew teqridha, imma xi ħadd – ħajja umana vulnerabbli u dgħajfa li għandek tipproteġiha.

Nitolbu li jirnexxilek tagħraf kemm hi serja din l-għażla li għandek quddiemek, u tagħżel il-ħajja mhux il-mewt.

Tiegħek,

✠ Charles Jude Scicluna
    Arċisqof ta’ Malta     
President tal‑Konferenza Episkopali Maltija

✠ Anton Teuma
    Isqof ta’ Għawdex

✠ Joseph Galea-Curmi   
    Isqof Awżiljarju

Kopja tal-ittra mibgħuta lill-parlamentari Maltin – Download

Open letter to the members of the Parliament of Malta

A letter from the Bishops of Malta and Gozo was sent yesterday, 1st December 2022, to the members of the Parliament of Malta about the amendment proposed on the termination of pregnancy.

Dear Sir/Madam,

We wish to express our profound concern, shared by many others, over the contents of Bill no. 28 of 2022 which, if approved by Parliament as proposed, will permit abortion to take place in Malta.

According to official statements, this amendment’s origins lie in the desire to enshrine into law that no criminal action would be taken against a doctor or mother should a baby in the womb die as a result of a medical intervention performed by a doctor with the intention of saving the life of the mother.

In reality, saving the mother’s life has always been the acknowledged priority when it has not proved possible to also save an unborn child’s life and no criminal proceedings have ever been instituted against either a doctor or mother when this unfortunate predicament has arisen.

However, not only is this amendment unnecessary, but it also opens up the possibility to terminate the life of a child even when the mother’s life is not in danger because it permits an abortion to take place when the mother is at risk of suffering from a health condition that is not life threatening.

As shown in other countries, introducing a risk to health into the law facilitates terminations on a spurious pretext. It is abortion. Nothing more, nothing less. We view this as an extremely serious and retrograde development.

Where a health condition requires treatment, we should do all we can to ensure that treatment is administered; when the mother is in difficulty of one sort or another, we should do all we can to ensure she is provided with whatever support and help she requires. However, terminating the life of another to safeguard someone’s health must never be an option.

The crux of this matter does not lie in verbal assurances but in the text of the Bill. And the text of this Bill facilitates abortion in no uncertain terms and, to make matters even worse, does so right up to the point of birth.

A new life comes into being at the moment of conception. In the mother’s womb resides a human being, not an object that can be simply discarded or destroyed. Our heartfelt appeal to you is to recognise the great responsibility you have on your shoulders to protect the weak and vulnerable; and to preserve life, not destroy it.

We pray that you will recognise the importance and implications of the choice before you and urge you in the strongest possible terms to choose life instead of death.

Yours,

✠ Charles Jude Scicluna
    Archbishop of Malta

✠ Anton Teuma
    Bishop of Gozo

✠ Joseph Galea-Curmi 
    Auxiliary Bishop

A copy of the letter sent to the members of parliament – Download

Sors: www.knisja.mt

Ritratt: www.knisja.mt/ritratti