Malta – St. Paul’s virtual 21st century abode

'After we had reached safety, we then learned that the island was called Malta. ' Apostle Paul

Since the time of the shipwreck of Apostle Paul to this little island, the islanders of Malta have faithfully abandoned, abused, abolished and abdicated the word ‘sex’ from their dinner table discussions, magazines, dictionaries, school syllabuses, official documents, papers, anything written or spoken – and the only place where the Unmentionable was still present was in the islanders’ minds and subconscious gibberish and swear-words that stayed inaccessible to the watchful eyes of Paul and Paul’s followers.

Nearly 2,000 years later, after Paul’s shipwreck, Malta is still the only place in Europe where divorce is NOT legal. At the time when European public has seen the legalisation of gay marriage and is listening to the innovative suggestion of Gabriele Pauli, a German MP, who proposes legalising an institution of ‘expire-able marriage’ that needs to be renewed every 7 years, Malta still does not allow divorce. No matter what is your free will, no matter what the circumstances are, no matter how much couples might hate each other, no matter what religion you are, if you are a Maltese and you are married, your marriage will be legally forced upon you.

Uncovering layer by layer of Maltese life-style, and legal frame-works, an observer would be further shocked to learn that in the 21st century, ‘sex’ still did not manage to win its rightful place within the archaic mind-set of the islanders in power. Pornography is illegal in Malta, and a photo of a mother breast-feeding posing for an advert still raises a lot of eye-brows, because exposing a tit to a public eye is unheard of on this beautiful rock. Sun-bathing topless is an illegal offence, and if a girl is caught without her swimming suit on, she can be put in prison. Nude bathing is a privilege of the few that have their own boats and that can hide from the eyes of many. Hence if anybody even tries to sun-bathe nude, finding an isolated place in the middle of nowhere, s/he will be haunted by old ladies that will promptly descend from heavens to remind one that our bodies are sinful and shameful and should not in any way be exposed – especially not in front of the children!

Six months ago the Maltese Church & a Government Organisation ran a marketing campaign (with huge bill-boards, adverts in the newspapers, and TV) that lasted 3-4 months in which they tried to convince the youth that the healthiest and the best way to live their lives is to stay VIRGINS until they get married. They dug out dubious statistics and had interviews with doctors, scientists, philosophers that claimed that the true happiness will follow only if one preserves his or her sexual organ until the big day of the marriage. And they were serious about it!

Malta, that entered EU 3 years ago, still has almost 30% of its primary schools run by priests and nuns that are sweet and devoted creatures that truly believe that anything connected to sexual organs must be the devil’s work and an unmentionable sin. 30% of the primary schools on this amazing island are still run on the principles that boys and girls should go into different schools and should not under any circumstances mix.

Even though Paul’s teachings have sensibly been exiled from most of the Europeans schools and homes, Malta still remained his 21st century abode - the fort of faith that disrespects & disregards sexuality in all its manifestations and forms. His words ‘The body is not to be used for sexual immorality…’ keep echoing through all the structures of Malta’s unshakable fortifications.