Once, Noel and Chris could not have imagined a future of marriage and family – which has been welcomed by the Catholic community. They spoke to Jessica Arena.

Four years into their marriage, Chris and Noel Vella Galea are celebrating a new milestone: the Holy Communion of their son Daniel.

“I think some parts of society are not really aware that gay couples can marry and adopt children. Even doctors sometimes falter at dealing with same-sex families,” Noel says.

“But on the whole we are met with a profoundly positive experience from most people.”

The couple, who were married in 2016, adopted their eight-year-old son Daniel from Portugal two years ago. To document their experience, they also run the blog Two Papas Malta.

“We wanted him to be baptised and be able to do Holy Communion with the other children,” Chris says.

“We’ve never encountered problems in this regard. Not at school, not at church. We just went in and spoke and we were always welcomed.”

“Daniel has not experienced bullying because of this,” Noel interjects.

“We’re often asked if we’re worried that he might experience negative things. Everything you do in life is going to be met with challenges and if you hold on to this defeatist thinking no one would go in for adoptions.”

While Daniel has since adjusted to a new country, language and school, the family have fallen into a comfortable and normal dynamic.

“People sometimes ask us who plays “the mother role” and I generally say, do you see either of us wearing a wig?” Noel says.

“There really isn’t any confusion for him, in that he has two fathers, because he looks at our characters and has assigned us certain roles himself,” Chris explains.

“There are some issues he’ll want to discuss with me and for others he’ll want to go to Noel. He tells me I’m stricter, for example.”

“Our roles are more flexible in that regard, we split domestic chores and we care for Daniel interchangeably,” Noel continues.

People sometimes ask us who plays ‘the mother role’ and I say, do you see either of us wearing a wig?

The couple’s loving and patient adoption journey is very popular with their blog’s audience and they often hear from heterosexual couples who say they’ve found the push they needed to start the adoption process.

“We hear the argument sometimes that a heterosexual couple should have adopted our son,” Noel says.

“He had been up for adoption for a year before we met him. Most couples are looking for very young children with no issues. That’s a bit of a tall order, I think. Even your biological children cannot be perfect,” says Chris.

All adopted children come with baggage. As parents, the couple have adapted to their son’s feelings and tantrums every step of the way, they say.

“Now we’re in a new phase where he’s quite chatty and happy and when we meet new challenges, I’m sure we’ll manage to face them.”

From the beginning, Daniel liked telling people that he has two papas, “so he inspires us as well”.

Could they have imagined this life for themselves a decade ago?

“Honestly, for me even getting married felt like a miracle,” says Chris. “Our wedding was a dream come true, I couldn’t stop crying. So having a family and the rights that we do now isn’t something that we could have imagined before.

“You can have children, you can be a father and experience the full beauty of being a parent.”

“Daniel has a certain focal point now that we are always going to be there for him,” says Noel.

“He likes living in our home and has gotten used to the idea that even if we discipline him, for example, this is still his home where he is safe and cared for and that we are his place of comfort.

“If Chris and I had never met and come to this point in our relationship, this boy would not be with us. Children of adoption are made for us. The bond that we get the opportunity to build with them is incredible.”

“Even though we didn’t make him, our son is still the fruit of our love for each other. I feel like if we didn’t love each other enough to build this life together then he wouldn’t be here,” Chris adds.

“The fact that Daniel calls me ‘papa’ is already enough,” he says.

“It’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever heard.”