Is a Gozo bishop needed?
It was welcome to read the recent interview in The Sunday Times with Gozo Bishop Mario Grech, fresh from attending the Bishop’s Synod in Rome. The Roman air has obviously had a Damascene effect.
In a break from his language at the height of the divorce referendum 18 months ago, Mgr Grech called for a Church that “accompanied divorcees in a journey of faith. The Church must show them love and not condemn them,” a message reflected in the Pope’s homily that closed the Synod last week. There is hope of enlightenment yet.
Mgr Grech’s intention “to correct those who are too enthusiastic to judge others and those who look down on these people” also struck a chord among those of us who were at the receiving end of his earlier, as well as quite recent, diatribes. I simply hope that his frank admission that “the Church is failing to connect with contemporary Catholics... in a world where irrelevance is a bigger challenge than confrontation” is duly conveyed to two of his monsignors, Anton Gauci and Joseph Farrugia, with both of whom I recently crossed swords.
I had the temerity to question whether there was any case for Gozo, an island of about 30,000 souls, to have its own bishop, and I suggested, tongue in cheek, that perhaps this was something the Apostolic Nuncio to Malta might care to examine. Mgr Gauci in a fit of Gozitan ire called me “an enemy of the Diocese” (of Gozo).
But this was still a fair question to raise as the Maltese Church grapples with modernising its organisation and communications. The launch of the Church’s own news portal, where the Bishop of Gozo made his peace with divorcees and those whose marriages have irrevocably broken down, is but the first manifestation of this. Any such adaptation must examine all options for change, whether pastoral, structural or hierarchical. There should be no no-go areas.
Given that Gozo comprises only about seven per cent of the Archdiocese of Malta in population terms (about the same size as the combined parishes of Birkirkara and Mosta), it seems a fair question to ask whether it exercises a disproportionate voice in the Maltese Church’s affairs and, indeed, whether there is any longer a real need for a Gozo diocese.
There are of course historical reasons for the creation of the diocese, with its own bishop and ceremonial panoply of monsignors, seminary and hierarchy.
The first Bishop of Gozo was created in the late 19th century. Malta was then a colony in the British Empire.
Throughout Malta’s colonial rule, the overriding objective of the British Crown was to ensure that the smooth running of the fortress colony was not affected adversely. To this end, it suited the British to support a powerful diocesan Church, bolstering it in every way, thus directly ensuring the support of the Maltese.
It is against this historical back-cloth of British ingratiation with the Maltese Church for its own political ends that the decision to establish a bishopric in Gozo should be viewed.
However, over a century later, with Malta now a modern, independent State, and with the advances in 21st century communications, the question must be asked whether the arguments that were obtained then for having a Bishop of Gozo make any sense today.
Direct access to Gozitan parish priests by mobile phone or internet can be obtained in a flash.
Physical access to Gozo has been revolutionised, no longer the luzzu or karrozzin of old.
The time when the Archbishop of Malta took the best part of a day to travel to his parishioners in Gozo are long gone. It now takes a half-hour boat crossing and the Archbishop’s ability to communicate verbally or in writing with the hierarchy there is instantaneous.
In terms of time and space, the Gozitan parishes are as much an immediate geographical part of the Archdiocese of Malta as the parishes of Birkirkara or Sliema, which they resemble in population terms. The case for having the post of bishop placed directly in the chain of command to lead under 10 per cent of the Archdiocese of Malta is weak indeed.
There can be no question that on pure governance grounds there are no persuasive cost-effective arguments in favour of having such a post. And there are strong arguments against. The existence of a Gozo bishop has in the recent past acted as a destabilising presence on the Maltese Archdiocese as a whole, as the divorce and IVF debates showed. Having a bishop there shouting from the sidelines has been a disadvantage.
There remains therefore the argument on political grounds, the very argument that led to Gozo having a bishop in the first place. While I personally am not persuaded that the political arguments – the “special” position of Gozo, its unique historical make-up – should override the practical reasons adduced above, I am sufficiently sensitive to the peculiar make-up of the Maltese political, as well as the ecclesiastical, psyche to know that logic, hard-headed efficiency, cohesiveness and cost-effectiveness weigh less in the balance of decision.
We must therefore reluctantly reconcile ourselves to there being no immediate demotion of the status of the Diocese of Gozo.
Provided the Bishop of Gozo adheres to the spirit expressed by him after the recent Bishops’ Synod, I for one will be content, on balance, to live with the current structural contradictions.
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S. Cachia
Nov 17th 2012, 23:08
Can I confess that I feel some "envy" emerging from between the lines of this article?
I wish to thank Mgr Mario Grech, his diocese and his monsignors together with all priests, religious and laity, that in unity with the teachings of the Catholic Church and in collaboration with the Archdiocese of Malta, are doing so much for our Catholic community and for our beloved country.
Edward Xuereb
Nov 16th 2012, 00:35
Organizations and communications
Structural and hierarchical adaptations
Disproportionate voices, historical implications
And references to political destabilisations
Give to the Sister Islands the captions
Of two acephalous nations!
Mr Joseph Ellis
Nov 15th 2012, 19:22
I wonder why Mr Scicluna gets hot under the collar whether Gozo should be a separate diocese. For one, if it were not the case, Malta would have a bishop, not a metropolitan archbishop. Secondly, dioceses are not created out of simple demographic considerations but also in recognition of distinct regional identities. Gozo's status in the church is settled but not its constitutional status.
Fr Richard-Nazzreno Farrugia
Nov 15th 2012, 14:47
Mr Scicluna, it seems that more than a problem for the Church's organisation the Gozo diocese, with its bishop and "monsignors", seems to be your problem and the solution is not in erasing "the enemy" but in accepting the challenge...
Francis Saliba M.D.
Nov 15th 2012, 13:50
Whether a Bishop is needed in Gozo is not the legitimate interest of anyone who prides himself not to be interested in religion but never misses an opportunity to denigrate it. These matters are the legitimate concern of religious people from bishops to lowly members. Your gratuitous advice to the diocese is devoid of credibility or conviction. Will you ever stop making a nuisance of yourself?
Gerry Cowie
Nov 14th 2012, 19:29
Yet again Martin Scicluna gets the space to put forward his opinion. Please note this is ONLY his opinion.
Joseph Calleja hits the nail on the head below!
Again Mr Scicluna fails to comment regarding the comments below, no doubt as he'd rather launch further opinion pieces upon us.
If the Gozo bishop goes, will there be criticism of the Archbishop's travel expenses to Gozo by dhajsa?
Andy Farrugia
Nov 14th 2012, 20:37
But I am sure that you know all about the in-thing about these pseudo-intellectual windbags...the publish or perish syndrome.....the pseudo-erudite disquisitions of their rantings and ravings over a coffee and some croissants; else, how would they be able to justify their self-appointed role as chair of some mind-bogglingly dysfunctional think-tank?
Carmel Camilleri
Nov 14th 2012, 16:31
Martin's obsessive mind of attacking the church needs attention. Being a non practicing catholic and not so familiar with the gospel he has no right to dictate to the church how to do its job.
Andy Farrugia
Nov 14th 2012, 17:24
You bet it needs attention: of the psychoanalytical kind! Hilarious endlessly!
Peter Paul
Nov 14th 2012, 15:05
Maybe we need a Gozo Bishop to write pastorals for Sunday Mass and to build Cemeteries on the farmers precise water streams, you might wonder and amaze Vatican.
Francis Saliba M.D.
Nov 15th 2012, 14:26
@PeterPaul
Haven't you noticed yet? We already have a Gozo Bishop who writes pastorals for Sunday Masses and who provides burial amenities in cemeteries and for whom Gozitans and Maltese (not all, of course) are thankful to God.
Karl Consiglio
Nov 14th 2012, 14:52
No
Raymond Bezzina
Nov 14th 2012, 14:06
With reference to the above article, wouldn't it be better for Mr. Scicluna not to interfere in matters of the church, but instead uses much of his same arguments in civil matters, such as whether Malta needs 68 local councils, and in a general election Malta is divided into 13 pieces called districts, where a voter is unable to select his/her preferred candidates out of all candidates ?
Edward Xuereb
Nov 14th 2012, 13:58
Yet, the New Evangelisation
Has a diverse preoccupation
Firstly, the Faiths cultivation
Through daily oration, Sacraments and adoration
Outreach to the poor and a catechetical formation
To all, even, without any variation.
Edward Xuereb
Nov 14th 2012, 13:57
Lets shun futile argumentation
And focus on our hearts transformation
Of which only Gods inspiration
Can be the effective causation
That leads to real salvation
After our personal cooperation.
To keep ever fruitful the institution
MY Personal Faith is the real solution.
Edward Mallia
Nov 14th 2012, 13:25
The description of Bishop Mario Grech as "shouting from the sidelines" in the "divorce and IVF debates" is gratuitously offensive, seeks to drive a wedge between the "good" Archbishop & the "obstreporous" suffragan, & is factually wrong. As parliamentary legislation covers Malta & Gozo, any "shouting" by Bishop Grech is not coming from the sidelines but from the centre of the field.
Svetlana Borg
Nov 14th 2012, 13:04
Mr Scicluna is absolutely right, but the Vatican might not take long to decide on this issue as a careful reading of the letter by the Pope to the bishops suggests:
http://pro-tridentina-malta.blogspot.com/2012/08/l-ittra-ta-papa-benedittu-xvi-lill.html
Joseph Calleja
Nov 14th 2012, 12:12
here we go again ... and then this author claims that he not interested in church matters. give me a break!!
Peter Borg
Nov 14th 2012, 11:50
Certainly not this one. Dinosaurs like Mario Grech are manna from heaven to those who wuld like to see the Catholic Church continue to crumble and disintegrate.
Christian Sciberras
Nov 14th 2012, 11:41
You might wonder, what is my point?
Well, frankly I don't care if Gozo had a Bishop, Deacon, or just one Archpreist.
Fact is, Gozo is not in fact accessible. The problem is twofold; Malta effectively limits Gozo for various reasons, discouraging investment, as an example. As such Gozitans have to attend to several matters at the same time because of lack of workforce.
John Azzopoardi
Nov 14th 2012, 23:23
you are so ignorant. Gozo is a functioning city state and we even produce enough fresh produce and meats to live on unlike proper Malta. And if Gozo had to create it's own laws and does not adhere to MEPA rules and regulations, we would get more tourist to gozo by building 2-3 additional resorts and casinos' That s what many tourist look .
Christian Sciberras
Nov 18th 2012, 20:28
Yes, I am so ignorant...but about what? You don't seem to specify any arguments against mine!
Now, if you meant I was ignorant as to how fellow Gozitans live and how it's like, well, I think you're quite mistaken, since I've lived there my whole life!!
Christian Sciberras
Nov 14th 2012, 11:37
Is Gozo even needed in the first place?
Sarcasm aside, I am genuinely curious as to how much this Mr Scicluna knows about Gozo.
For instance, does he know that even with today's revolutionary means of transport, it takes 45 minutes to get to Gozo (assuming you were waiting for the ferry 15 minutes earlier, which is the norm.
Compare, that with the two hours of traveling to England.
John Azzopoardi
Nov 14th 2012, 11:11
Come on. Get serious. Now someone is questioning this gozitan right. The Gozo Diocese is separate than Malta and it must remain so for the sake of Gozitan identity. .
Please choose the reason of your report below: