This week I found myself in agreement with something that the Bishops of Malta and Gozo suggested.

The Bishop of Gozo  proposed that every parish in Gozo adopts a Christian family from countries where Christians are being persecuted. Auxiliary Bishop Charles Scicluna backed the proposal.

Well done, hooray, and about time, I say.

What took you so long? And, why oh why, does it have to be specifically a Christian family?

Why make this about religion and not humanity, when religion has always been the cause (or excuse) behind such violent and heartless persecutions?

Why not just help anyone in need regardless of faith or lack of? Isn’t that what Christianity is all about?

And why limit ourselves to just one family per parish? Whatever happened to Mother Theresa’s mantra of ‘Help, but help until it hurts’?

If we can have three, four and sometimes up to seven churches in one locality, with just as many sub-communities, band clubs and fireworks groups competing and contesting for the best statue or what have you, why can’t we do the same to help real people?

Why can’t we compete to see who has the power, the means, and ultimately the heart to help as many families as possible?

But I repeat - this suggestion from the Church is ultimately a positive thing. With all its flaws, ifs and buts, this initiative is a great one - the likes of which should be more frequently forthcoming from the Church. 

Perhaps however the Bishops should have gone further to clarify one small thing - that most of the Ethiopians, Eritreans, Nigerians, Zambians, Zimbabweans - you know all those black people whom many people despise, are in fact Christians who have fled their country to avoid sure death. 

Perhaps the Bishops should also have explained how silly it is for us to be complaining about space, or our imaginary lack of it, when these people, are running for their lives and the lives of their loved ones. And what do we do to them as soon as they land? We treat them like criminals and lock them up indiscriminately in appalling conditions for more than a year.

And then, once they’re let out of detention we treat them as though we’re doing them a big favour by letting them live ‘freely’ under tents or hot tin roofs. We marginalize them into specific areas and treat them like desperate workers (read slaves), paying them peanuts, if at all, for long hours of hard labour.

We talk about them like they’re ‘the other’ and whilst most of us have no clue about what their culture or religion is, we just go around like headless chickens spreading rumours that they’re taking over our culture, when in reality they form less than 1% of the whole population, when culture is no one’s property to be taken, and when most migrants in Malta really don’t want to stay here at all.

So yes, I applaud the Church for finally taking this stance, because even if it’s a baby step, it’s still one in the right direction.

I just hope that worshippers take heed.