People who have only read media reports about the Pastoral Letter written by Bishop Mario Grech on the occasion of the feast of Santa Marija must have thought that the Pastoral Letter is just a diatribe against abuses of the free medicine system.

It is true that Bishop Grech condemns such abuses. This is of no surprise as the Bishop of Gozo regularly teaches about the social and moral obligations of Catholics. The list of abuses he warned against is legion. The moral and social doctrine of the Church is an intrinsic part of Catholic teaching.

However Bishop Grech does much more than simply condemns abuses of the system. He addresses a basic human experience – that is sickness – and treats is from a Christian perspective. Prima facie the subject is a sad one but Mgr. Grech tackles the content in a very positive manner. It is very clear that Bishop Grech is writing from the heart and basing himself on direct contact with sick people and their families. Consequently the subject is treated in a very humane manner. Wherever you read you find a lot of care and loving attention to persons affected. He cares about people but adds to his caring attitude the Catholic teaching which serves as a ray of light that brings hope.

The style communicates in a very clear way without any simplification of the issue. He is down to earth and direct without being dramatic. The Pastoral letter is easy to understand. This is not because the ideas proposed are not profound but because the way of communicating them is so good.

Bishop Grech moves on from the personal drama to the institutional framework that takes care of sick people in our society. This gives value added to the Pastoral Letter. Structures are very important. He gives his thoughts about how the system should not be abused.

There is another dimension to the Pastoral Letter. It directs the diocese towards a pastoral strategy that should be adopted. Bishop Grech wants his words to be translated into action by the pastoral operators of his diocese.

The Pastoral Letter can be downloaded from http://gozodiocese.org/

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