The Independence Day homily of Archbishop Paul Cremona triggered a reflection on the role of Church and State and their inter-relationship. There was insistence on the separation of Church and State. Unsurprisingly, the Archbishop’s message was misunderstood, misinterpreted and misrepresented.
Although the Archbishop was first and foremost addressing the highest authorities of the land, his appeal to strengthen the nation’s moral fibre is the responsibility of one and all. However, the responsibility of those who wield power is undoubtedly of much greater relevance.
Like other countries of the West, Malta takes pride in being a liberal democracy. Yet it ignores the fact that liberal democracies evolved and flourished in the West because they were underpinned by Christian values. Even a superficial knowledge of history shows that Christianity, and in particular Catholicism, gave an enormous contribution to European civilisation and was a profoundly influential force for good.
In extreme situations, the Church does not hesitate to condemn ideologies and economic systems that are intrinsically flawed. History, especially in the last century, has sadly proved the Church right. Throughout its history, the Church has upheld the common good and pioneered education, health and charitable services. Often it set standards for the state to emulate, such as its commitment and services to the disabled and the terminally ill.
It therefore is most appropriate that the Church as an institution, in the person of the Archbishop, challenges those who wield power, as power has a moral content with far-reaching consequences. But the Church is not only made up of the Archbishop and clergy. Catholics are expected to engage in the politics and try to influence structures in which they are active. They have a role to play in whatever political party they militate. If they fail to take a clear stand on crucial issues, they betray their Catholic credentials.
Our political parties stop justifying corrupt and shoddy behaviour because of the failings of their opponents
Catholic politicians should heed the words of Pope Francis in his interview with the atheist editor Eugenio Scalfari when he makes a clear distinction between Catholics in the political arena and the Church as an institution. The Pope said: “I say that politics is the most important of the civil activities and has its own field of action, which is not that of religion... I believe that Catholics involved in politics carry the values of their religion within them, but have the mature awareness and expertise to implement them. The Church will never go beyond its task of expressing and disseminating its values, at least as long as I’m here.”
In Malta, the current worrying drop in ethical behaviour in politics as so eloquently challenged by Ivan Fenech in his article ‘Corruption of morality’ (Times of Malta, October 9) shows that the Archbishop’s address is timely. This does not imply that the Nationalist government was blameless when in power.
Quite the contrary, and no doubt their political opponents are well aware of their faults. Yet, it is long overdue that our political parties stop once and for all justifying corrupt and shoddy behaviour because of the failings of their opponents. Values are inflexible and we either measure up to them or we don’t.
We need rules of conduct. But on what basis do we determine them? There have to be accepted values or else we have chaos. Also, besides a code of ethics, we need enforcement.
In his brilliant essay ‘Church and State’, G. K. Chesterton, with his inimitable wit, wrote: “...the sphere of government has always attracted grasping unscrupulous men, as well as public-spirited honest men. And since the unscrupulous always have that advantage over the scrupulous, they have generally been top dogs”.
The State needs the Church. It is in society’s interest that both as an institution and through its members’ responsible vocation, that the Church strives to build a social framework based on justice and charity.
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