A call for more coherence

The synod assembly and the documents that have come out of it show the way for the Church in the 21st century. The documents give direction to Christians in today's society, inspiring lives in many decisions, big and small.

Andrè Camilleri, who chaired the 27 synod assembly sessions of the Maltese Church and now chairs the synod implementation commission, believes so. He said the synod documents that were drawn up after lengthy discussions and a wide public consultation give out a clear signal of the Church's commitment to speak about social, political and economic issues.

The eight synod documents speak of this and many other issues - the abuse of social services, racism, illegal immigration, sustainable development, feasts, work, politics and family. Indeed, Dr Camilleri described the synod as a "walk" that paved the way for a renewal process in the Maltese Church.

"The synod documents show that the Church speaks out on social issues and it is not removed from society even if some have set out to prove otherwise," Dr Camilleri said.

He said the consultation experience threw light on the fact that the Church is not the dying institution that some portray it to be. "It is an institution, of course, but that fact in itself does not explain why it has survived for millennia, despite the failings of its members. Yet, the Church is not only made of bishops and priests. At its core, there are the values of the Gospel that many lay people have tried to make part of their lives through the centuries. The synod was held in that spirit of communion which makes the Church so relevant today," Dr Camilleri said.

About 100,000 people answered a questionnaire when the synod was launched in 1999 and 250 people from all walks of life were invited to discuss the draft documents in 27 open sessions.

The synod assembly ended in June 2003 and the Archbishop approved the documents at the end of September last year. All the documents were published by the end of the year.

From the main points that people had raised in the consultation process, eight predominant themes emerged and were discussed in an assembly made up of people from all walks of life, including lay people, priests and religious.

"There was a document on the role of lay people in the Church today, another on culture and society, a document dealing with marriage and family, one about young people and adolescents and on the importance of liturgy."

"The documents deal with the Church as a communion of persons, as well as the relationship of the Church with society and with culture. They discuss the role of the laity in the world and in the Church. Particular attention is devoted to the areas of marriage and the family, as well as those of adolescents and youths.

"The documents also examine the three fundamental ministries of the Church: The proclamation of the Word of God through every possible means; the celebration of the liturgy and the sacraments and the acceptance of everyone in a spirit of diakonia and the promotion of justice."

Dr Camilleri said the documents attempt to apply the Gospel in terms that are understood by people today. "The documents are there to enable believers understand how their life should be in harmony with the environment, that includes fellow Christians, people from other religions, political and economic matters, immigrants and even the physical environment."

But how are these documents relevant today?

Dr Camilleri said the Archbishop had decided to call this consultation process because he wanted to know what people in Malta felt about the Catholic Church. Moreover, the synod was intended for the Church to understand the relevance of the Gospel today. "We asked whether the Gospel was something that belongs to the past or whether it was still relevant in this day and age. In fact, there was a deeper understanding of how the principles of the Gospel have to be woven into the life of every believer and how the Church's voice was still relevant today."

The Maltese Church is often accused of being non-responsive to certain issues but Dr Camilleri begs to differ.

"The Church has spoken about a number of social, political and economic issues and this not just during the synod. To mention one, the Church has spoken against the abuse of social services on many occasions."

An issue that had stirred up a hornet's nest was an appeal by Archbishop Joseph Mercieca's and which was interpreted as urging women to stay at home and not to work outside the house if possible. "The Archbishop never said women should stay at home. The synod document on marriage and the family, for instance, says that couples should use their sense of judgement to find a balance but it certainly does not say that women should not go to work," Dr Camilleri said.

The document includes a section on work and the family and insists on the need to change patriarchal and sexist frames of mind, widespread in Malta, that "allow the wife to work" provided she remains solely responsible for family duties that, truly and legally, should be shared equally. At the same time, it is not enough for the state to expect people to strike a balance between work and family unless it provides family-friendly policies and structures for such balance to be struck.

On other issues, Dr Camilleri said, the Church had spoken out, at times even vociferously. "When it came to the proposed Rabat golf course, the Church appealed to the authorities to take a decision based on moral and social principles. Progress should not be an excuse for greed and the environment as well as people's livelihood should not be at stake because of progress.

"Another issue was the vandalism at Mnajdra and Hagar Qim. The bishops had strongly condemned the attack and called for collective responsibility when it comes to safeguarding heritage that forms part of our identity."

According to Dr Camilleri, the synod has called for the setting up of structures to improve the Church's response to such issues.

"The environment commission, the peace and justice commission and the diocesan commission for the family, for instance, were set up as a result of the synod. These are practical ways in which the Church is responding to the needs of Maltese society.

"Yet, it must be said that no matter how many commissions are set up they would be useless if the values they represent are not first lived by the people who make up the Church, namely all committed Christians. This is the spirit in which the synod took place and that is why it is a call for all Christians to live a life of integrity and coherence. This was a process where Maltese Catholics again asked those three important questions: Who are we? Where are we coming from? Where are we going?

"If people live their Christian values, Maltese society will benefit in the long term and that is why, for now, we can only speak about the first fruits of the synod."