Gozo Bishop Mario Grech talks about condoms, and homosexuality, but is confounded by the fact that what makes news these days is always somehow related to a person's intimate life. In his first newspaper interview, he tells Ariadne Massa this focus could come at a cost.

It's 9.45 a.m. and the stream of people waiting to see Mgr Grech has not abated. Just as he settles down at his desk for the interview, a group of children show up to give him a present and sing their well-rehearsed Happy Christmas song.

Reluctant to delay the interview further, he holds his hands up, politely excuses himself and dashes down the Gozo Curia's steps to meet the group who greet him with a volley of chatter.

Back at his desk in an organised office, he straightens his navy blue, wool jacket and sips a black coffee. Since he was consecrated bishop on January 22, 2006, the 50-year-old admits that his time is now no longer his, a situation he accepts gracefully as part of his ministry.

His day starts at 6 a.m. with prayers, then together with his family - he lives with his parents in Kerċem - he goes to the Ta' Pinu Sanctuary where he celebrates Mass at 7 a.m. Back home, the family prepares breakfast and Mgr Grech usually tries to remain light, opting for a bowl of fruit.

"I try to watch what I eat because everybody is on a mission to feed me, so I try to control my diet a bit," he says with a shy grin, aware of the possible comparisons to his more rotund predecessor, Bishop Nikol Cauchi.

By 8.15 a.m. he is at the Curia, returning home for lunch and a nap in the afternoon - a 30-minute booster that energises him and gears him up for the second half of the day.

He chose to live at home because he yearns to maintain some semblance of normality, and he feels it's important to retain a finger on the pulse of community life.

On the outside, Mgr Grech appears reserved, but he's a shrewd man who is aware of what is going on around him and is savvy with new technology - he can usually be found replying to e-mails late at night, once his day draws to an close.

Having once been Mgr Cauchi's press officer, he is very perceptive of the role the media can play in getting the Church's message across to the flock, and the risk that the facts can be contorted.

His recent statement, where he said that the authorities' promotion of condoms to protect against HIV/AIDS could be interpreted as endorsing lifestyles that were responsible for this epidemic, is a case in point.

His remarks that arguments in favour of condoms were full of deceit hit the headlines and he was accused of making sweeping dogmatic statements, which many felt were irresponsible in the light of increasing sexually-transmitted diseases and rising numbers of babies born to young, single mothers. Was he expecting such a reaction?

"No, and I was quite surprised. I didn't do it with the intention to spur such a debate. I was speaking as a pastor in the context of life, and tackled numerous issues," he says, still looking a bit perturbed about the whole furore that erupted.

Mgr Grech in fact feels his homily was "manipulated" by a media hungry to sensationalise matters: "That day, I was speaking at Ta' Pinu to mark the day of persons of disability and I spoke on the value of life, tackling AIDS, and bioethics in the context of Gozo's society. From all the points I mentioned, the media just picked out the one on condoms and left it there dangling out of context.

"Whenever the Church speaks out on these issues the media pounces on them, but anything of a spiritual or theological nature never makes news. Believe me, I'm not begging for media attention, but I truly feel there is something missing. Whenever we tackle the religious phenomenon, our media do not want to read the message."

The health authorities and the Church agree that abstinence should be the primary advice. However, the former feels that if this practice fails then young people should play safe and use condoms. How does he reconcile his comments with this?

"I see the point. However, in the same way that there are several voices out there proclaiming their message, the Church has its own," he stresses.

"Why should the voice of the Christian be muffled? Whenever the Catholic person speaks out it's as if they start at a disadvantage. Why should there be prejudice against them? We're living in a pluralistic society. I'm not saying that anybody from a Christian society should impose anything, but we should be able to speak and make our voice heard too.

"On the issue of condoms, I was told I shouldn't get into scientific arguments. But all I wanted to say was that the authorities should point out that the condom is not 100 per cent safe. Be honest and say it's a method which is available in society if you decide to throw caution and abstinence to the wind, but be aware that the risks remain. It's not within my competence to get into any scientific details and I don't have any illusions about that," he adds.

Throughout his two years as bishop, Mgr Grech has worked to use the podium to raise issues that people feel strongly about, from immigration to expensive housing for young couples and the plight of children in society.

Mgr Grech is conscious of the reality that the Church has to compete with the numerous voices plying their wares in a global, materialistic world and each battling to win over souls. But with the last Church census showing that Sunday Mass attendances dwindled to 52 per cent of the population, did people care or bother to listen to the teachings of the Church?

"I realise that as a Church we have to be self-critical. We too need to move with the times, and by this I don't mean that we have to change the substance or content of our teachings, but the way we deliver our message and communicate," he says.

He explains that by re-evangelisation, the Church was not proclaiming the Gospel for the first time, but instead was focused on finding the right words that today's society could relate to; a methodology that worked.

"Although I'm worried about the fact that nearly 50 per cent of the population does not attend Mass on Sundays, I'm very concerned about the remaining 50 per cent that does go to Mass. While we need to look into why the former have stopped coming, we also need to examine whether the latter are having an authentic celebration, otherwise there's a risk that attendance figures (will) continue to fall."

Could the fact that separated couples, described as 'living in sin' because they found happiness in a new relationship, and gays who believed in God but were prevented from receiving communion, have anything to do with the deterioration in attendances? What can the Church do to tackle these issues and stop alienating them?

Mgr Grech describes these categories as "i lontani", in other words, the metaphorical lost sheep.

"I lontani are close to my heart. I would be betraying the Gospel if I only cure those who are healthy and, so to speak, 'saints', and neglecting these people you mention," he says, referring to the Parable of the Sower.

In the parable, a sower dropped seeds on the path, on rocky ground, and among thorns, and the seeds were lost; but when they fell on good earth, they grew, yielding different amounts of fruit; some 30, some 60, and some a hundredfold.

"There are disciples who wish to give more but cannot. You cannot set them aside or exclude them from the Church. There are several modes of union with Christ. You mention the Eucharist. True, that's the climax, the sacrament par excellence, where the Christian becomes one with Christ. But he is not just present in the Eucharist," he explains.

"I fear there are misconceptions out there, which we need to clarify. I think it should come from the people themselves, that if they are living a certain lifestyle it cannot lead them to full communion, but this does not mean they're being sidelined. Let's optimise on other moments, such as praying together and listening to the Word of God."

But what about gay Christians, Who feel frustrated at the Church's attitude?

"The Church does not just invent its teachings capriciously. It's not the gays, but the lifestyle (that it frowns upon). I understand that a person who is oriented that way has a condition. Should a left-handed person force himself to use the right hand? Should he feel inferior?" Mgr Grech asked, choosing his words carefully to make sure he is not misunderstood.

"It's the exercise of indulging in the sexuality that is wrong, not the gay person. Anybody who is heterosexual and is indulging in promiscuous activity is not acting correctly. The same goes for gays; it's the actions not the person. Let's not be judgmental," he urges.

Mgr Grech seems eager to change the subject, and is still confounded by the fact that what makes news these days is somehow related to a person's intimate life.

"As a result of this, are we covering up more serious problems, such as those related to existentialism? Are we failing the person who is searching for an answer? There are more important issues than condoms and homosexuals that we need to be tackling. Whenever we mention the Church, that's all we seem to talk about," he says.

Since his appointment, Mgr Grech has embarked on a journey to make the Church and Mass a more meaningful experience for the Gozitan congregation. His first step to achieve this was to change nine of the 15 parish priests, five of whom at one go.

Nothing too earth-shattering in this, except that the move of two of the parish priests - that of St George's Basilica and the Cathedral - saw a deep schism erupt in Gozo's capital, Victoria. Overnight, he took the courageous decision to replace the archpriests with two new appointees who served in Rome and as a result would come to the parish with a fresh mind, uncluttered with the piques of parochialism.

Suddenly, the bishop was faced with a boycott by one of the philharmonic societies (Leone) on all his activities, a chorus of disapproval aimed at his decision, and diverging opinions filling the newspapers. Through it all, he maintained a controlled silence and forged ahead until the new Cathedral archpriest was installed earlier this month and the controversy died a natural death.

Was he taken aback by the boycott against him?

"I'm not surprised by anything these days, because the human being is a mystery. You think you know a person and then something happens and you realise how little you know him," he says.

The move could be deemed to be a feather in his cap for managing to achieve such a change, but Mgr Grech is quick to shrug off any references to some feat.

"First of all it's not feather in my cap. I'm a priest who lives in today's times, and I feel society has matured overall. The change that took place is the fruit of this ecclesiastical maturity. From the moment I became a bishop, I began to reflect on a renewal which I felt should take place in the Church. Changing the parish priests was one of them. Every now and then change is healthy and that was the motivation behind the move, to secure a spiritual renewal."

He is happy that the story ended on a good note, but his work does not stop here. He has a continuous rapport with the parish priests in Gozo and they meet once a month for a whole morning to tackle the issues within the community and discuss how to move forward. With a steely determination and a quiet demeanour, Mgr Grech is a man who is keen to bring about change. Does he aspire to one day become Archbishop?

"No," he immediately blurts out, without stopping to ponder the question.

"It's already a huge commitment being Bishop of Gozo. This is not a matter of aspirations, and we live our vocation as best we can. Also, when you speak of aspirations, it's something in the future - the future is not ours."

Mgr Grech is a man who tries to live the moment, and with the year drawing to an end, his only aspiration for the future is to do things better. In the meantime, his happiness is derived from the small beautiful things in life.

"A situation like this morning's, when the children visited, makes me happy. They were not aware how they filled my heart with their smile - you have to keep your eyes wide open to capture the moment."