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Just for one day For one day I have chosen not to be my cynical self.Good news I guess. When I was about to embark on one of those ‘praise the pope articles,’ I caught President George Abela on State TV and I would go so far as to say that it would amount to a real miracle if I manage to control myself. So as not to be cynical, I will just have to forget that St Paul’s shipwreck is taken literally by President George Abela and that St Paul’s visit to Malta is questioned by some very serious historians. You see, George Abela, from the perspective of the privileged sea view he can indulge in thanks to his opulent mansion on the seashore at Marsascala, has not quite realised that the story of St Paul and his fragile sailing boat is historically incorrect. I do not share the same religious zeal of our President and I would have expected him to more of a Statesman, rather than more Catholic than the Pope himself. We need a Republican President not a Confessional President… perhaps Mr Terribile could explain the difference. It is not George Abela who is the protagonist today, but the Pope. I am ashamed to have a President who fails to look beyond the shores of this country and to renege his task of protecting the secular nature of the State. He said yesterday as he spoke that the majority of the Maltese people cherish monogamous marriage. Well who doesn’t… but subsequent surveys have shown that many happily married couples who deride separation as a personal solution for themselves support the introduction of divorce. Who, in their right mind, loves divorce? But that is not the point. So President Abela, get your scriptwriters to check their facts. I specifically write this opinion in the late afternoon as I listen to the Pope. There is nothing surprising about his speech and his message. If there is something unique in the Church it is the consistency in not changing its views on what it considers to be a morality regime counter. Unlike many other journalists who write from the comfort of their newsrooms, here in Malta we are all entrenched in our Christian roots, which are very difficult to dislodge. We are not a secular society and we are very much influenced by our peers: to say that you question the existence of God is taken as an offence. To even discuss abortion is considered a taboo. Over the years I have had the opportunity to see with my very eyes that morality and moral rules are not the privilege of one religion. Indeed, I have many atheist or agnostic friends who are more ‘Christian’ than one could imagine. Over the years, I cannot deny that the Church has not served as my sentinel. There are many good reasons, as I grew and walked away from prayer groups and the legion of Mary, I saw with my very eyes the hypocrisy of Christians who said one thing and did another. Growing up with the environmental movement I watched as I saw the Church’s ignorance on environmental issues and the derision towards women taking a more active role in society. As I became political I mocked Archbishop Gonzi and his decision to excommunicate Labourites from the Church in the sixties. As I dug deep into history, I could understand the moral argumentation behind many of the Church’s decisions in its evangelical revolution to bring more individuals towards the faith. Unlike others who took a sabbatical from the Church and had a jolly good time breaking every Commandment, I went on a morality trip questioning the ‘morality’ of the Church. On a personal level, I was shocked by the views of the Church on sexuality and child birth control. More so, when I worked closely as a teacher and saw the sexual frustration of some colleagues who were priests. But if today’s society changed it was not my views that changed it. Ironically, in Malta the real ‘conservative Roman Catholic upbringing’ started to shake not under Mintoffian times but under a Nationalist administration which embraced market economics and allowed people to embrace progress and consumerism. Peter Serracino Inglott, a priest-politician, states quite rightly that persecution helped the Church: under Mintoff’s times the Church strengthened under Fenech Adami and with Gonzi it started to show cracks. Women started to enter the work place and new Western trends invaded the country. And with this the traditional issues pertaining to sexual trends, separation, civil marriage and divorce started to gain ground. All this is an issue for the State, the State has an obligation to look at an evolving society and respond. Unlike many others I do not subscribe to that group of people who wish to change the Church. I have neither the inclination nor the time. If I wished for a Church which is tolerant to married priests, gay priests and that accepts divorce I could easily join another Christian Church which embrace such trends. But at the age of 47, I find that the most important question to be: ‘Is it worth the hassle?’ We could have easily been Moslems if the colonisers that came after the Normans had not been so brutal with Islam as a faith and tolerated the Semitic-speaking natives with their religion. As Wettinger reminds us, we were still Moslem after St Paul sailed off from the Islands. The truth is that despite the many problems with Catholicism, there are numerous redeeming points. If Malta did not have a religion, we would be far poorer than one can ever imagine. We cannot blame our insularity on religion only it is the fact that we are such because we are islanders. Apart from all this, the Church has played an important role in setting standards whether we like or not, in attracting an astounding cultural heritage and introducing customs and ethics (some of them questionable) in a society calling out for direction. True, the Church has not changed to the times. And in the absence of the State intervening it has offered medical services, schooling and social support. It has been slow in responding to the changing world but on a micro level many of its priests have shown themselves to be liberal and tolerant to gays, separated couples and contraception. And there are priests who do offer comfort to the underprivileged and those in need of help. Many work without being credited or seeking credit. Many Maltese and Gozitans who do not lead ‘exemplary’ Catholic lives find solace in religion even though there are others who are caught in the ire of conservative monsignors. The interview by Peter Serracino Inglott (on pages 14 and 15) may shed some light on this subject. Secularism is an unstoppable phenomenon that is shared by millions the world over and people like George Abela should take note of this instead of trying to halt its growth. Yet, from my standpoint, the fact that I was brought up as a Roman Catholic and introduced to a moral regime makes it difficult for me to set myself free and move on. And perhaps I would not like to. Because in those solitary moments in life, when all around us becomes inexplicable and dream-like, I for one yearn for a symbol that I can look up to. More often than not there isn’t, but it would be helpful to think that after all there is a superior being and an explanation to everything. The mystical thing about the afterlife could be possible but it is all about having faith. Nonetheless ‘faith’ is not the sole privilege of the Catholic Church. Truly, it is become more confusing when you see the abundant religions around us. Yet I have to confess that in all this confusion, I would rather associate with a Christian religion than with a Moslem or a Hindu or a Buddhist creed. Well, any comments here would be simply superfluous. As the Pope prepares to meet thousands of Maltese many will be excused if they become hysterical and emotional. It would be nice to think that there are moments in life when we can all join in one chorus and share the same sentiment about beliefs. I try, but I find it very hard to come to terms with the Church as it presents itself today. Let us see how it goes! Footnote: In this hullabaloo over alleged paedophilia I cannot help feeling a wee bit sorry for the Pope and the Church. More so when I hear that the alleged victims are represented by Lou Bondi, the man who portrays himself as God’s gift to journalism and is earning thousands a week on State TV. He refused to allow the BBC to interview the ‘alleged victims’ if they were not paid. His meek and unbelievable riposte was (and I quote verbatim): “… to put them off.” Since when does Lou Bondi have a problem saying ‘No’ to someone? Any comments? |
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Managing editor Saviour Balzan | Tel. ++356 21382741 | Fax: ++356 21385075 | Email
Managing editor Saviour Balzan | Tel. ++356 21382741 | Fax: ++356 21385075 | Email