Cana may have to cut back services

Unless the Cana Movement's financial situation improved it will not be able to offer its current services, its director, Fr Joseph Mizzi, warned yesterday.

Speaking at the movement's annual general meeting, held at St Monica School Hall, Gzira, Fr Mizzi said that the financial situation of the movement was a continuous problem.

The training given to counsellors, natural family planning teachers, couples leading marriage courses and facilitators of support groups was expensive, while there was also the cost involved to prepare material, buy equipment and maintain the premises.

This situation, he said, had forced the movement to take certain tough but necessary decisions.

Fr Mizzi also spoke of the tremendous challenges of marriage and the family, saying that the movement's different groups needed to work together to overcome such challenges and strengthen the family.

He said nations had suffered because they had not given any consideration to the environment 30 years ago and now he believed the same was happening with the family.

He said that for many years, the family was not given the importance it deserves, as if it were a fortress that would not face problems.

"I am not saying we were mistaken, but if we put our hand on our heart we would realise that we - the state, the Church and civil society - have not done enough. We urgently need to give it the importance and attention it deserves," he said.

Fr Mizzi said the Cana Movement, for more than half a century, had believed in the family and considered it as a treasured and precious thing.

He thanked his predecessor, Mgr Louis Camilleri, for 36 years of service within the movement.

Mgr Camilleri is now a member of the Metropolitan Chapter and is also serving on the Ecclesiastical Tribunal.

The meeting concluded with messages from Archbishop Paul Cremona and Gozo Bishop Mario Grech, followed by Mass.