In his article ‘Scicluna’s Covenant’, about Archbishop-elect Mgr Charles Scicluna, Ranier Fsadni lays the door of the present crisis at the feet of the Church.

Yes it has declining numbers of secular and religious priests and nuns, it has a financial crisis, its institutions are under threat, and its future is at best aging and uncertain. Our Church has seen crises like this before.

All this is the result of not a Protestant but a secular Reformation, a sociological upheaval and a moral crisis. It is less numbers that count than quality.

How truly spiritual is Malta’s Catholic Church? How deep and unworldly are its values? Or has it been contaminated by the prevalent and growing secularism, consumerism and materialism, which erode moral values?

How many truly holy priests and nuns have we got, to inspire us to less worldlypursuits, a calm and balanced way of life, and strong moral principles?

Is not Malta part of our contaminated western world, where materialism and unbelief reign supreme, where attitudes are at best agnostic, and at worst cynical, intensely worldly, cheap and subversive of all that is simple, clean and holy?

Cheap chocolates, cheap washing machines, cheap sex, cheap abortion – these are western societies’ modern values. And in a dire war, we shall be found wanting in bravery, courage, self-sacrifice, resilience and higher ideals for survival.

Our societies are dying, with fewer births, numerous broken families and superficial religious practice and sermons in many cases.

What counts now is not what one is, but what one has. But this scenario can be turned around on honest reflection.

We again need the strength, courage and resilience that won World War II. And above all, sincere and inspiring leaders. Otherwise our vaunted civilisation will go nowhere but downhill.

We need a loud wake-up call.