The Catholic Church should examine itself and its methods of evangelisation, Archbishop Paul Cremona said this morning.

In a speech at the beginning of Mass, Mgr Cremona said:

“Today we are searching especially for a new evangelisation. Society has changed and it is a challenge for the Catholic Church to examine itself, and its methods of evangelidation.”

He said the Church had a mission of love to witness to its faith and the values inherent in it, especially those centering around the sanctity of life from the moment of conception; the dignity of every person and the fundamental importance of a stable family based on marriage.

“We know that in the light of these changing conditions we cannot just cling to the model of the Church to which we have been accustomed for decades.

“We have to return to the Church as it unfolds in the Acts of the Apostles: a Church which centres around the listening to and the sharing of the Word and the Eucharist; a Church which thrives on the personal experience of Christ; a Church in which its members are not fazed by persecution but continues to give witness in love to the teachings of the Lord; a Church which passed from the humiliation of having let down the Lord at the moment of his Crucifixion to the humility of the preaching the Word relying on the strength of the Holy Spirit, rather than on the strength of its members; a Church humble enough to recognise the failures and sins in its members but strong enough to count on the presence of the Holy Spirit; a Church which does not seek privileges, but merely strives just to deliver the Good News of the Lord,” Mgr Cremona said.

Following hte address, Archbishop Cremona and Gozo bishop Mario Grech presented gifts to his Holiness.

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