Meddling in society

Whenever Church leaders intervene in public debate some people are offended and suggest that the Church is crossing the boundaries. Among those who protest are the secularists and some who refer to history.

The Church helps the community encompass the rights of all, not of a few- Fr Alfred Micallef

Let us begin with the latter. Few remember the politico-religious struggle of the 1930s but many have lived through that of the 1960s. Although time has passed and reconciliation has been worked out we do not forget easily.

The tendency to see today’s Church’s interventions in the same light – even though they are very different – is easy to understand. In the 1960s the issue was the relationship between Church and State.

Now the issues are of an ethical nature. However, not all are capable of understanding the difference, as could be seen from some of the interventions during the debate leading to the divorce referendum.

Then there are the secularists. Church leaders, in the first place, address the believing community. This does not coincide with the civil community, which is something they need to keep in mind.

The Church also addresses the civil community. Pope John XXIII explicitly addressed also “all men of good will”.

These two communities need to be addressed differently. The believing community is expected to be open to the Scripture and Church teaching; not so the civil (non-believing) community.

On the other hand, among the civil community there are many of “good will” who are willing to listen.

Naturally, the arguments used need to hold water. Some arguments built on natural law as understood by neo-scholasticism do not hold water.

While natural law does not change, our understanding of it does. Our very understanding of nature is further enlightened by the findings of the human sciences and other discoveries. For instance, today we appreciate more the role of the context in determining what is ethical.

Pope Leo XIII made this very clear in his encyclical Aeterni Patri: “If there be anything that the Scholastic doctors treated with excessive subtlety or with insufficient consideration, or that is at variance with well-founded teachings of later date, or is otherwise improbable, we by no means intend that it shall be proposed to our age for imitation.”

Incidentally, this applies to believers too. In our age and time, believing Christians need to know the reasons behind moral positions. Just because bishops are called shepherds it does not follow that the rest of us are sheep.

On their part, secularists would do well not to shoot positions simply because they are advanced by the Church. Positions should be judged on the basis of the strength of the arguments upon which they are based, not on who happens to make them.

Often the Church helps the community to encompass a wider picture that includes the rights of all, not only those of a few.

When the Church speaks about ethical issues it would not be imposing Christian law on civil citizens in the same way that Sharia law becomes civil law in some Muslim countries. The intervention of the Church is prophetic.

The prophet draws the attention of one and all that certain choices are conducive to growth and some are not. All are free to heed the prophet or not. In the Old Testament, very often, people did not and sometimes this led to their destruction.

I am very glad to have heard Mgr Charles Scicluna insist repeatedly that the Church is there to propose not to impose. The Church does not impose but it rightly feels it has a contribution to make. After all, the most genuinely human values are those of the Gospel because they are the values of the most genuine human being.

Politicians are legislators but they are not experts in everything. Rightly they seek advice through the publication of White Papers, by listening to experts, and in other ways. When it comes to ethical issues, creating an atmosphere in which serene debate is possible is a must. Espousing positions as a party too soon may not be very beneficial to society.

alfred.j.micallef@um.edu.mt

Fr Micallef is a member of the Society of Jesus.