The Sunday Mass tradition

Sunday Mass has formed part of Maltese life for centuries and has become one of our oldest traditions. However, times have changed and statistics show that the rate of attendance at Sunday Mass is always going down in Malta. What I find really preoccupying is not the fact that fewer people are attending Sunday Mass today but, rather, the fact that, for a substantial number of them it is, indeed, nothing more than a tradition.

Criticism of the Catholic Church in Malta is not lacking due to the fallout from the divorce debate and the case of priests and their sexual abuse of minors.

Have we ever stopped to reflect, however, on how many Maltese attend Sunday Mass simply because they have been brought up to do so, because it is a tradition in their family and nothing more? If one observes the behaviour of several of those attending Sunday Mass, one cannot but come to the con­clusion that, while it is true that the Catholic Church in Malta has its defects, a good part of the blame for the situation being what it is in our country lies squarely on the shoulders of many of the faithful.

Let me give specific examples.

It is Sunday and the Mass has started. Several people are still entering the church, even whole families. This goes on for a good 10 minutes. One or two people even enter and start hearing Mass when the priest has already started the homily. Needless to say, those who have attended in time are being continuously disturbed by all this movement going on inside the church itself.

To add insult to injury, others attending Sunday Mass behave in a manner that continues to distract their neighbours. Some women are indecently dressed because their activities after the Mass are more important to them than Mass itself. So, for instance, if they are going to the beach afterwards, why bother with clothing that is not suitable for the beach? No, go to Mass in clothing that is an insult to the occasion but which will make it easier to go straight to the beach afterwards.

Others are obviously so bored that they fidget about, contin­uously fiddle with their hair or, much worse, start a conversation with their companions, which disturbs the persons near them.

The icing on the cake is when the time for Holy Communion arrives. Whole areas of the church suddenly become empty not because the people occupying them are eager to go and receive Holy Communion but because for them the Mass has already ended and they exit the church, setting a very bad example to those still inside.

Am I being too negative? No, my friends, I do not think so unless facing up to reality is being negative. We witness such unsavoury behaviour on the part of practising Catholics every Sunday in our parishes. Which brings us to the crucial question of whether many people practise their religion in a mature, adult manner or, rather, in an immature, childish way. The great Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi once said: “I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.”

The mistake that several practising Catholics are committing today in Malta is that, while they rightfully expect the highest standards from the Catholic Church in all it does, they seem to be oblivious to the fact that they too are an important part of the Church and that their behaviour and approach to religion also reflects positively or negatively on the image which the Catholic Church projects to both believers and non-believers.

Martin Scicluna (August 25) wrote about the renaissance of the Church in Malta. I would like to add one important point to his analysis. For a renaissance, reform has to come not just from above but also from below. While I believe that there is a lot of public awareness about the former, this seems to be somewhat lacking in the case of the latter.

Remember that it is a fact that many of our younger generation do not even attend Sunday Mass at all. Young people are idealists, they abhor all forms of hypocrisy; they will not participate in a function, religious or otherwise unless they feel committed towards doing so. How can they be attracted to Sunday Mass when the behaviour of several of those who attend is a bad example to them, when the message imparted is “we’re here only because of social conventions and traditions, we’re impatiently waiting for the Mass to finish so that we can go on to more satisfying activities today”?

The Catholic Church in Malta deserves more respect, especially on the Day of the Lord. Sunday Mass entails dignity and respect from those who attend.