Bishops urge people to welcome Pope in difficult time for Church
The Archbishop of Malta and the Bishop of Gozo have called on the Maltese people to welcome the Pope and support him in the current difficult times for the Church.
In a Pastoral Letter being read in all churches, the bishops said:
"In the face of the tragedy of the shipwreck, the Maltese people welcomed Paul, supported him in his time of need and loved him. Today the Church - and most especially, the Pope, is also in troubled waters. There are those who are trying to silence his prophetic voice. We feel that, like our forefathers, we are called upon to show our love for the Pope and ally ourselves with him."
Archbishop Paul Cremona and Bishop Mario Grech said that in nticipation of the Pope's visit, the Maltese people needed to ask themselves: Where do we stand at present with respect to our faith and what are the fruits of the Gospel which we received so many years ago and which has shaped our identity and traditions?
"We have no doubt that if we open up our hearts to embrace this occasion, it could be for us a moment of grace which will serve to encourage and fortify us in our faith," the bishops said.
"We are convinced that the Pope, not only by the words which he will express to us, but also through his spirituality, will raise many questions about Christ and his message. We encourage everyone - not only those who are walking in the path of faith, but also those who feel burdened by the doubts of faith - to heed the Pope's message.
"We are not to be fearful of the challenges he will present us with; rather we should continue to seek and to raise questions regarding Christ's message," the bishops said.
They added that the Church had rendered great services for the benefit of Maltese society.
"Today, at a time when we feel we are at crossroads in so many areas of our life and our faith, we are all called upon to renew and rejuvenate our Church in order that it may be as God ordained it: a Church which bears resemblance to the first Christian communities; a Church built, first and foremost, upon the Word of God and the Eucharist, particularly the Sunday Eucharist.
"We do not wish to be a fearful Church, a Church behind closed doors.
"In spite of what some may think, neither do we wish to be a Church which imposes itself upon society and upon others.
"We wish to be a Church which acquires its strength through the Word of God and through the testimony of those who are thoroughly convinced of their faith. We wish to be a Church that is not reluctant to enter into dialogue with the world and with all human beings, irrespective of their beliefs"
"Just as Paul's visit gave new life to the social set-up of that time, so too, this short stay of Pope Benedict among us, can provide the impetus required for us to focus once again upon the core of our faith, which in spite of having always been close to our hearts, is certainly in need of renewal.
"The Pope's profound personality, as well as his prophetic knowledge of our times - traits which emerge clearly upon reading his first Encyclicals - will enable us to open our eyes to our current situation.
"We may expect the Pope to guide us in the proper direction in order that our country may continue to have a vision for the future which is not misleading, but rather to continue to embrace the Christian faith as a treasure which enhances, and not lowers, the dignity of the human person and its nation," the bishops said.
"In the face of the tragedy of the shipwreck, the Maltese people welcomed Paul, supported him in his time of need and loved him. Today the Church - and most especially, the Pope, is also in troubled waters. There are those who are trying to silence his prophetic voice. We feel that, like our forefathers, we are called upon to show our love for the Pope and ally ourselves with him.
"In this respect, during the forthcoming weekend, we invite the people of Malta and Gozo to welcome warmly the Pope, who will be visiting us in the name of the Lord! We encourage you to participate in all the encounters which are being organized to celebrate the two days during which His Holiness will be among us."
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Paul Falzon
Apr 13th 2010, 14:04
@ Joe Xuereb. Well, if he's an old man he shouldn't have accepted becoming a Pope from the start!! This is not an excuse. He had enough strength to condemn people, so now he has to be ready for the rest!!
Joe Xuereb
Apr 12th 2010, 17:59
@ Joe Vella. Your biblical quotations sound hollow because inapplicable to the current situation. Sure there will be wolves it says (the good book). It could have added, all prophetic like - anything is possible in this RC religion, remember! - that in two thousands years' time the all-devouring wolves will be an inside job. The Trojan Horse had nothing on this I am sure.
The marred billboards are nothing more than some saying, 'I am not pleased with all this'. It's hardly vandalism. And I dare say that the pope himself wouldn't see it as vandalism. He might chuckle to himself over the hitlerian moustache if he reckons the vandal got that one wrong. That's all. The truly good can and do transcend any attacks remember. Especially if they are enter 'pope' when filling in an application form that asks one's occupation.
Please leave the pope alone. Healthwise, he is older than his years. He is very, very sick. May health-giving Maltese sun rays give him some respite. He's handled a tough job admirably, what with celibacy and all that. I couldn't do it!
Joe Xuereb
Apr 12th 2010, 10:59
@ All. We must not be too hard on the pontiff. If one takes a close look at his body and face language, it soon becomes obvious that this very old sick man is not capable of doing or saying much. I would hazard a guess that all he says is scripted for him. He is the classic figure head.
We, the people, can use our body language too. We can either go and greet him and wave a yellow and white flag and make a doddery old man happy. Or we can stay at home and play games on the Internet. We've always got a choice.
Alfred Dimech
Apr 11th 2010, 03:37
The Bishop should let us free to decide if we should welcome the pope or not, according to what we believe in. The pope himself has condemned gays for their sexual behavior, causing further difficult time and intolerance towards gay people around the world. So, now the time has come for the pope and his church to go through difficult time. The bible says, "those who have no sins should throw the first stone". The pope should apply this principle in his church first, by cleaning it.
Joe Xuereb
Apr 11th 2010, 00:53
The message is music to the ears, even if a bit discordant at times. Like trying too hard to get the message across and managing only to come across as un unctuous massage.
JOSEPH ZAMMIT
Apr 10th 2010, 20:24
Personally, this pastoral letter offends me as a Human Being!
"..in the current difficult times for the Church." Are we being told here that the Church is the victim?
I would say that in the absence of the tragedy of the shipwreck, the victims of paedophilia would not have witnessed such terrible abuse and crime.
paul grima
Apr 10th 2010, 19:54
He's welcome to Gozo anytime!!!!!!!
JOe VELLa
Apr 10th 2010, 19:47
I will not try to add to the wisdom of our Bishops, yet it comes to my mind those words from The Acts of the Apostles,
Acts 20:29-30 I know that after my departure ravening wolves will enter in among you, not sparing the flock. And of your own selves shall arise men speaking perverse things, to draw disciples after them.
In the last 2000 years when has this prophecy not been fulfilled?
Let us rejoice because the Lord Jesus is with us as He promised. From whom are we to be afraid!
Yes let us like our fathers congregate and be part of this historic moment.
Adrian Cortis
Apr 10th 2010, 18:57
With all due respect to the bishops, the pope needs no one to urge people to welcome him. The fact that the same Maltese church had to resort to such comments means only one thing, that the pope is indeed not even meeting THEIR expectations. So how can they expect the man in the street to do otherwise ? Let us ALL call a spade a spade. The Maltese church should have not accepted that the pope visits our country until the very worrying claims on the same pope are confirmed to be false. With regards to how people are expressing themselves, I see nothing wrong, not even if they manipulate the billboards, unless TRUE vandalism is done to the same billboards. These things happen in every general election in Malta, and also in almost all the EU countries. So let us not make a fuss about all this !!