A debate on the future of the Church yesterday ended with predictably few answers, some criticism and a couple of pointed questions.
The pastoral letter had to reach a moral judgement on IVF because that is what people turn to the Church for
However, as faith and reason interacted, the mood was serene, far removed from the harsh debates on the introduction of divorce, in-vitro fertilisation and cohabitation that have characterised the past two years.
The dialogue between a secular society and the Church was rekindled during a breakfast meeting organised by The Times, in conjunction with the Intercontinental Hotel, as part of the Times To Debate series.
Pro-Vicar general Anton Gouder appeared opposite the chairman of The Today Public Policy Institute Martin Scicluna.
It was a mellow dialogue that skimmed the surface of a complex debate on whether the Church has to change and, if so, in what direction.
The last interview by Cardinal Carlo Maria Martini, a controversial Church figure who died in August, provided the backdrop for the discussion.
Mgr Gouder said the Church was continuously changing but underlined the dilemma faced by an institution that had a duty to deliver the word of God, unpalatable as it may be for some.
Speaking about the negative reaction from people and priests for the bishops’ pastoral letter on IVF in July, Mgr Gouder acknowledged that it may have hurt some individuals but insisted the message also had “many paragraphs of humanity” weaved into it.
He said the Church had the duty to speak when it disagreed with something but had to find the right way to communicate its beliefs without hurting people.
“But the pastoral letter had to reach a moral judgment on IVF because that is what people turn to the Church for.
“If individuals felt hurt by the message, I have no right to tell them they should not have felt so but this was not the intention.”
Speaking from the audience, theologian Fr René Camilleri said he felt compelled not to read the pastoral letter in his parish because his conscience did not permit it. He had criticised the pastoral letter for using “insensitive language”.
“The Church will never accept divorce and we will not necessarily solve cases in point but the problem remains a question of how the Church presents itself. The Church has to save man, not itself,” Fr Camilleri said.
It was a sentiment shared by Fr Colin Apap, who criticised the Maltese Church’s lack of internal dialogue.
Both priests cautioned against the Church stifling the diversity of thought within it.
Mgr Gouder then conceded that the IVF pastoral letter had not been discussed with the Presbiterial Council, a consultative body made up of representatives of the clergy.
Speaking “as a layman and concerned Catholic outside the confines of Church bureaucracy”, Mr Scicluna said Cardinal Martini’s last words nudged the Church away from untenable positions and asked it to reconnect with its members.
Mr Scicluna said the Church was a human institution and like all human institutions had to re-evaluate its actions from time to time.
“The Church needs better leadership, a reorganisation and better communication,” he added, noting that speed was of essence in a technologically evolved world.
With the IVF pastoral letter, the Church came across as an institution “lacking compassion, soulless and authoritarian”, Mr Scicluna said.
But not all was doom and gloom. Fr Paul Pace, a Jesuit and moral theologian, noted that by taking stands in favour of immigrants, those on a minimum wage and other marginalised groups, the Church was making a clear choice in favour of the poor.
“This also helps the Church to change,” he said.
Eddie Fenech AdamiThe Church should listen, but not abandon its principles
Milan-based Cana Movement founder Mgr Charles Vella spoke at length about Cardinal Martini, whom he knew personally.
President Emeritus Eddie Fenech Adami urged the Church to be realistic and listen attentively but this should not come at the expense of abandoning its fundamental principles and beliefs.
At the end of the two-hour debate faith and reason did find some common ground.
Mgr Gouder summed up the essence when he said man was at the centre of Church teachings.
Whether everyone agreed on how this principle should be implemented is another story... a story likely to require more debates.
What they said...
“The question is not whether the Church should undergo continuous reform but what reform, where and when”
- Mgr Anton Gouder
“There were 2,000 pastoral letters that I read and wanted to bite my tongue while doing so”
- Fr René Camilleri
“It is true that the Church has internal structures for dialogue but these are not working. Dialogue does not exist”
- Fr Colin Apap
“The Church needs better leadership, a reorganisation and better communication”
- Martin Scicluna
“The letter was about five pages long but the fundamental message was IVF is a no-no”
- Kenneth Zammit Tabona
“The Church in Malta still has a captive audience and this is why priests must have good communication skills”
- Joe Friggieri
“Cardinal Martini wanted to raise questions and invited everyone to examine his conscience”
- Mgr Charles Vella