What is the role of the Church today? Should it remain confined to the sacristy and the sacred space? Should it be concerned solely with liturgical service? This is good and should be done properly but the vision of our bishops, Mgr Paul Cremona and Mgr Mario Grech, as outlined for us, in the light of the teachings of Vatican Council II, is much broader. It is a vision full of hope and trust in the Risen Lord, open to dialogue and active involvement in improving this world and not despising it. Of course, this does not come without a cost but the Church cannot refrain from doing it, cannot remain silent if she wants to be faithful to her Lord and Master.
Some people have recently aired their views and asked why should the Church be present on most of the television and radio discussion programmes? Why should the Church always have something to say regarding most issues? Why should the Church interfere in all matters that are being discussed on the social agenda of the country?
I think these are valid questions that merit an answer. Needless to say, if we are to engage in an honest and sincere dialogue, the Church has first to listen to the people of today and then find the proper context and language to proclaim its message.
The Catholic Church speaks not only because in a democratic society everyone has a right to speak but, above all, the Church speaks because it has a special duty towards humanity. Pope Paul VI once referred to the Church as an "expert of humanity" precisely through its knowledge of Jesus Christ.
The Church, backed by 2,000 years of experience, is in duty bound to speak with the purpose of enlightening consciences and to protect the dignity of the person. The Church converses not only with those who share our faith and those who do not but with all people of goodwill.
I think all of us should be grateful to the Church because very few institutions are speaking in an illuminative way in favour of the inviolable rights of the human person. Hence, all this shows that religion is not something that can be relegated to the private and subjective domain but it is something that influences all spheres of life. Religion is like a light that shows the way towards the fulfilment in Christ.
The Church must continue, especially nowadays, to enlighten consciences on certain issues, which are becoming more and more challenging. These include, for instance, the protection of life in all its stages because life is a gift from God; the defence of the natural structure of the family, based on heterosexual marriage, for it is the best place for every individual to grow and develop as a person; and the promotion of the beauty of sexuality, which enables one to enter into communion with another person of the opposite sex and, in so doing, shares in the mystery of Creation.
It seems we are living in an age and time where, to scorn the Catholic teaching on love and sexuality, means to earn the approval of modern society. However, the basic teaching of the Church is education in love and responsibility. Even if temporarily this teaching might sound difficult, sooner or later people will realise that this is for their own real good.
All this shows that the Church has a vital role to play in society. It has to keep on listening and to keep on passing the message of the Gospel with charity. The world wants to listen to the "good news", provided it is presented in a positive light. And why not? Above all, as Pope Benedict XVI said, "Catholicism is not a collection of prohibitions but a positive option".
Fr Mizzi is director of the Cana Movement.