by Tony Rucinski, Coalition for Marriage
Malta survived the Roman conquest, the Arab invasions, and the most sustained aerial bombardment of the Second World War. Now, a group of Maltese families fear the thing that finally defeats their country may come from within.
I sat down recently with five members of Our Family Foundations, a new Maltese organisation defending the family and parental rights. Among them: Margaret Grech, the foundation’s President, and her husband, Ray, who is Vice President; Rebecca Dalli Gonzi, its Secretary General and a university department head; Pastor Edwin Caruana, who planted the first Maltese evangelical church in 1983; and Sarah Sandoey, who leads outreach to parents. I’d encourage you to watch the full conversation on our YouTube channel.
Malta’s story reads like a cautionary tale compressed into a single generation. Until 2011, the country did not even permit divorce. Then, in a referendum, 54% voted to legalise it. What followed came fast. Pastor Edwin describes the aftermath bluntly: “The Catholic Church lost its voice.” Since the vote, it has “hesitated speaking out against anything”.
Within six years, Malta had banned conversion therapy (the first EU country to do so), legalised same-sex marriage, and introduced some of the most far-reaching gender identity legislation in the world. Since 2016, it has topped ILGA-Europe’s Rainbow Index every single year. Edwin’s explanation is direct. The Government saw its moment: “It’s our time now. Let’s go forward with our agenda because the church is no longer able to oppose us.”