I write on this occasion as the Chair of the Malta Ecumenical Council. The reason that I write is that as a group of Christians in the archipelago of the Maltese islands we are concerned how Christianity is understood and reported in the media of the country of Malta.
All member churches of our Council share a common understanding of one baptism as an initiation into Christ and the Universal Church. Incorporated within the Council are: Roman Catholic, Greek Catholic, Coptic, Serbian and Bulgarian Orthodox, Scottish Presbyterian, Lutheran, Seventh Day Adventist and Anglican Christians and it does not exclude any Christian denominations who believe in the doctrine of the Trinity from joining with us. Our aim, as an ecumenical council is by our witness, to promote ‘Christianity’ within Malta and along with the World Council of Churches to the whole of God’s created world.
We would like to point out to you that at times your journalists report on religious matters making the distinction between the ‘Roman Catholic church’ and ‘other faiths.’ I have personally encountered this statement and understanding from a number of Roman Catholics, who use the term ‘other faiths’ to include all Christian denominations that are not Roman Catholic, as you may agree, this can often give the wrong impression. Whist I agree that ‘faith’ can be used by individual denominations i.e. ‘Roman Catholic Faith’ and ‘Anglican Faith’ to emphasise their individual understandings of their traditions, the term ‘Other Faiths’ when used in the expression ‘Roman Catholic church’ and ‘other faiths’ tends to remove all other Christian denominations from the universal ‘Christian faith’ to which we all belong due to our common baptism into the Body of Christ and therefore the Universal Church. I appreciate that Malta is a country that is has a strong Roman Catholic tradition and that a vast proportion of the people are devout and hold their faith close to their hearts. I also understand that semantics and the use of words and phrases become assimilated into everyday language very easily.
On behalf of the Malta Ecumenical Council I would respectfully ask that you guide your journalists in an attempt to report on religious matters in a way that avoids the use of ‘other faiths’ when referring to other Christian denominations and reserving the phrase when reporting on matters concerning faiths such as Judaism, Islam, Hinduism and Buddhism, to name but a few. May I suggest that, when referring to any of the other Christians denominations, or as a whole, to use the simple phrase of ‘other Christian denominations’ or ‘other Christians,’ reserving the expression of ‘other faiths’ or ‘other religions’ when referring to the myriad of different faiths, which are not Christian and exist in the world.
This letter in no way is intended to castigate, but in a hope that together we may promote a true understanding of the universality of Christianity in a world where the migration of, and increased population of certain other faiths threaten the Christian culture of the western world in which we live.
The Council is also in the process of writing a series of articles which we hope will be published in your newspaper. These are to be deliberately and collaborately written to demonstrate our universality. Our Presbyterian and Seventh Day Adventist colleagues will produce an initial article for which we hope will be published during Advent, another in the week after Christmas by the Serbian Orthodox and myself, then another by a Roman Catholic and Lutheran for inclusion just prior to our Ecumenical celebration of Christian Unity Service at St Andrew’s Scott’s Church on Thursday, 21 January during the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. I thank you for finding the time to read this letter and hope that you will understand our concern and that it will receive a positive response from your good self.
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