Back in the days of Galileo and other such star-gazers, the truth was one and that was only the official church-sanctioned one. They who said anything against the truth, or against the church triumphant, met their end or were tortured till they recanted and said what the church wanted them to believe.

Today thank God nothing of the sort happens. And it was great seeing a fellow blogger, and a cassocked one to boot, write in the Sunday Times of Malta about the state of the Church in Malta today.

I definitely have no credentials to discuss what Fr Joe Borg said but, as a believer and churchgoer, I think I am entitled to say my bit. In fact I will echo Fr Joe’s words and say that I feel I should in all conscience.

When Fr Paul Cremona became Archbishop his smile won everyone’s heart. He went round waving like a little boy—unlike royals and politicians who do it because they have to, our head of the church did it because he was loving it. But, much as he was good at that, he seemed lost. 

He is too good—he himself has said he prefers dialogue to ordering, which is fine but once the dialogue fails you need to take decisions and firm ones too.

Father Joe Borg gave some hint as to what can happen. Up in the pecking order of the church it seems they have no idea—or no interest—in getting their act right. Is this because they feel entrenched in their positions and fear that any change will get them and their ilk the sack?

I once spoke to someone high up and mentioned the dwindling numbers at Mass. I said that from what I can see hardly anyone under 30 goes to Mass any more. He looked at me aghast and said that their surveys show otherwise. He actually told me he has the numbers to prove that youth church-goers are a growing phenomenon.

This is what the Church authorities need to confront—this attitude to facts. At Mass recently the celebrant, who was morosely jabbering on about demons, hell and inappropriate attire, said that people are wrong and they should change. Isn’t it ever priests and the attitude of the church who are wrong?

Kudos and cheers to Father Joe who hopefully has set the ball rolling. May his head not roll off his neck. May something happen and the Church realise that people today need to see it move on, engage people more and be ready to face change, especially a change in attitude.

Filling churches at festa time and at Easter is not enough. Filling churches with people like me—who are getting on in age—is hardly enough. It needs to find new ways, new waves, new people to fill people’s heart with hope, with courage and with belief.