Who needs the Church?

When governments or private entities are providing solutions to social problems otherwise cared for by the Church, do we still need the Church?

In a society where the people, through their democratically elected representatives, are voting for abortion, gay marriages and a rejection of the Church's teachings, who needs a Church? In communities where a number of priests and religious are under the shadow of paedophilia, is there really a need for the Church?

When relativism seems to guide our conscience and where Jesus loves you as you are, do we still need a Church to administer forgiveness and teach us about the truth?

In a society liberated from so many taboos and cultural or religious superstitions, do we need a Church that might give us a guilt complex? Is this the end of the road for our Church? Has society moved on so much that we can do away with the legacy of Jesus Christ, who gave up his life for society? Would we be better off without His Church?

In Malta, as in many other Christian countries, the number of practising Catholics and the influence of the Church is declining. Is this because the Church is no longer relevant?

The environmental, economic and technological changes achieved over a short period have left us gasping for comprehension and bearing. The continuous need for orientation, assessment and direction is felt at many levels, and the Church is no exception. It is the continuous questioning of who we are, where we come from, what we are doing here and where we are heading that can help us keep track of our direction. It is within this context that we might come to decide if we still need the Church.

We must ask ourselves: Do we feel safe in today's society? Can we trust our institutions? How strong are our marriages? Are children being brought up properly? Would we feel better if we belonged to a worldwide community of people who shared the goals and vision of Christ?

Very often, the root of all our worries, concerns, injustices, grievances and hurts are people and individuals or their actions. We have created a world that offers so many beautiful things but is on the brink of an environmental, economic and social disaster. Ignoring and moving away from the Church has not improved our society in this respect.

The solution to many of our problems lies in having the right building blocks: the individual and the family. The institutions, the technologies, the drugs and weapons in themselves do not have much relevance. It is the person behind them that affects society. When Christ founded the Church he enjoined every one of us to seek to be a better person, to let love motivate our actions, to forgive, to seek truth, to be faithful and conscientious and to distinguish right from wrong.

He made it quite clear that the consequence of our choices would be eternal joy or eternal suffering. His message made a difference to humanity. He founded the Church as a community of people who share those values and to guide them and teach them. Above all, He gave a perspective to our lives which is unique to our religion. Believing in Him and following His ways would give us the right blocks: caring, responsible individuals and a much better society. That is the basis and original concept of our Church.

It is the Church that plays the strongest role in meeting the spiritual needs of society. We need to better understand and put into effect the sublime qualities of Christ's vision of the Church. If we really comprehend its ideals, its reason for being, can any person of goodwill answer 'I don't' to the question 'who needs the Church?'