'Broaden annulment grounds' - Fr Hilary

The grounds for marriage annulments should be broadened, Fr Hilary Tagliaferro tells The Sunday Times in an interview today.

The popular priest and founder of the Millennium Chapel, in St Julian's, says the grounds to annul a marriage are still too tight and limited in a changing world.

"The world and life in general have changed - even over the last five years, let alone 30! No wonder we have marriages breaking down after four decades," Fr Hilary says, though he aligns himself with the Church that divorce is not the solution.

Official statistics show that in 2007 and 2008 there were 355 annulments and 1,156 separations.

"Life has changed and the reasons for an annulment today should be different from those the Church established 10 years ago," Fr Hilary says.

"When you delve into the reasons why relationships break down, you find that, from the onset, there was never any love, or good intentions to build something. I think that is reason enough to annul a marriage and enter into a new relationship," he insists, pointing out he knows many people who started a successful second relationship.

Commenting about the priesthood, Fr Hilary says although he does not feel celibacy is a major deterrent, he is sure this prerequisite will be changed in the future.

"Again, the world has changed, and I think it would be good for celibacy not to be compulsory... I had a brother who was also a priest and he left. He lived his married life as a saint. He was a much better person than I."