Maltese urged to share gift of faith

Pope Benedict XVI urged the Maltese to uphold their faith as an example to the world and to steer clear of the tempting voices telling them there was no need for God or the Church.

"Many voices try to persuade us to put aside our faith... and to choose for ourselves the values and beliefs by which to live... Not everything today's world proposes is worthy of acceptance by the people of Malta," he said in his homily during Mass celebrated at the Granaries in Floriana before some 25,000 people.

Archbishop Paul Cremona, in his address at the beginning of Mass, said the Church's challenge was to examine itself and its methods of evangelisation.

"We have to return to the 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," he said, stopping short of making a direct reference to the child abuse allegations haunting the Catholic Church.

Mgr Cremona acknowledged that in the light of a changing society the Church could not afford to just cling to the model to which it had been accustomed for decades.

The day started off with grey skies and rain, a small reminder of the tempest St Paul encountered when he was shipwrecked on the tiny island centuries ago, referred to by the Pope on Saturday as part of God's plan. But the Pontiff, who is on a pilgrimage in the footsteps of St Paul, might have looked to the heavens in thanks when the showers that came down in the early morning stopped.

The first weak rays of the sunshine that broke through were greeted with cheers, with some breaking out in song and belting out the tune of Laid Back's 1982 hit Sunshine Reggae as they waited for Mass to start.

A solemn mood set in once the celebration - in Maltese, English and Latin - got underway. It ran for well over two hours and proved to be tiring for the 83-year-old Pontiff who, at one point, nodded off.

During his homily, Pope Benedict told the congregation that if they were tempted to believe the enticing voices, they should recall the incident in yesterday's Gospel, when the disciples, all experienced fishermen, failed to catch a single fish. When Jesus approached, he directed them to a huge catch.

"Left to themselves their efforts were fruitless... if we place our trust in the Lord and follow his teachings, we will always reap immense rewards," he said.

It was tempting to think today's advanced technology could answer "all our needs and save us from the perils and dangers that beset us", but it was not so.

"At every moment of our lives we depend entirely on God," he said, adding that no visitor to Malta could fail but be impressed by the people's devotion and "vibrant faith".

"But that gift needs to be shared with others, it needs to be articulated," he urged. Mgr Cremona said the Church had to be centred around listening; a Church that passed from the humiliation of having let down the Lord at the moment of His crucifixion to the humility of preaching the Word.

During Mass, Mgr Cremona and Gozo Bishop Mario Grech presented the Pope with a 16-inch miniature sculpture of the Christ the King monument, chiselled in silver by Laga Ltd.

At the end of the Mass, Pope Benedict placed a 50-centimetre rose in gilt silver into a small wooden casing attached to the frame of Our Lady of Ta' Pinu's religious icon and asked the Maltese to pray to her.

The rose, weighing 234 grams, was created in Rome by goldsmiths Pietro and Claudio Savio.

The Archdiocese of Malta ensured there was an international flavour during Mass and the bidding prayers were read by Bro. Saviour Gatt, from the De La Salle Brothers; Carmen Agius, president of Malta Catholic Action; Mussie Debesay from Ethiopia; Sarah Bonnici from Gozo; and Marlene Dimech, an emigrant in Australia.

Sr Bernadette Galea, provincial of the Sisters of St Joseph, took care of the first reading while Antoine Vassallo was responsible for the second reading.

The offerings were taken up by the parents of Fr Joshua Muscat, from Nadur, who died after a ravaging illness; and the Spiteri family who represented all Maltese families.

When Mass ended and the Pope left the Granaries, it started to rain again. The powers that be were clearly smiling on the Papal Mass.