The Curia believes that an estimated 40 per cent of the Maltese still go to church on Sunday, newly appointed Archbishop Charles Scicluna said on Times Talk yesterday evening.
The figure, which has been estimated informally and is not based on a survey, would represent a 10 per cent drop over attendance recorded in 2006 in the last Church census.
Mgr Scicluna admitted that the reason why the Church avoided carrying out another census was partly to do with “fear of the actual figures”.
“When in the last few weeks I spoke of the need to carry out another census so we can gauge exactly where we stand, I was met with reactions of panic: ‘Do we need to know?’. Yes of course we do,” Mgr Scicluna said.
However, he said Church insiders informally calculated a constant decline of one per cent a year. He said he will push for the study to be held before the next national census by the government in 2021.
I refuse to jump on the bandwagon of any political party
Mgr Scicluna was speaking in his first major interview since he was installed as Archbishop on Saturday, five months after the resignation of Mgr Paul Cremona due to exhaustion. When asked whether Mgr Cremona may have been hindered from within, Mgr Scicluna let out a cautious sigh but argued that this was not the case.
‘It is the Archbishop who has to lead, take decisions’
“From my two years as an auxiliary bishop ... I found that the people close to Paul Cremona were people of great loyalty. But, also because we are a hierarchical and not a democratic institution, it is the Archbishop who has to lead and to take decisions.”
He then stressed again: “The responsibility of leadership lies with the Archbishop.”
So was Mgr Cremona the problem? “He is not a problem but a person. A person with good qualities... but like everyone else he has his limitations and his personal own style – which obviously then has repercussions.”
Under Mgr Cremona the Church in Malta emerged battered from the 2011 divorce referendum. Asked what he would have done differently, Mgr Scicluna replied: “One of the things that I noticed from Rome – because I was an outside observer on this – were the [Church’s] conflicting messages... The end result was a total confusion,” he said.
I hope hunters don’t have their shotguns pointed at me
“We were even scared to do a post-mortem on the divorce issue. I don’t know if we have enough energy to do it now... let’s focus on the present,” he said.
This time round, nobody was expecting the Church to join the fray on the spring hunting referendum, but Mgr Scicluna publicly said he would personally be voting ‘No’.
“I hope hunters don’t have their shotguns pointed at me,” he quipped, before repeating his stand. “I’ll say it again, let’s leave the birds to nest so that we can guarantee future of the species.”
However, he also broke a lance for the hunters, saying: “The Yes campaign is about equilibrium and balance of nature and that gives some sort of guarantee, whatever the result.”
However, Mgr Scicluna said he was “not afraid of reaction” against him. He stressed that though the Church was not a political institution it should not be afraid to speak for fear it will labelled.
“We are not into political partisanship and I refuse to jump on the bandwagon of any political party,” he said, adding that he “has an allergy…” and “gets irritated” when political parties try to use him.
“But it does not mean that I am going to stay quite in a corner and hide,” he said, arguing that Malta needs to mature politically.
Scicluna on clerical abuse
Mgr Scicluna would not comment when asked on his position in respect to the compensation of victims of sexual abuse by members of the clergy, pointing out that the civil case was still ongoing in court.
“There is a pending civil case and the Church is a player in it so how can you expect me to comment? I am not in the courtroom here and you are not the judges and I will not answer. It is not fair for me to comment,” he said.
The questions on the lingering case came after Lawrence Grech, spokesman for the victims, criticised Mgr Charles Scicluna in a pre-recorded clip, saying he had promised to help the victims but they “did not even get a phone call from him”.
“All I got from the Church was a prescription of tranquilisers. The Archbishop said he will be a shepherd... I challenge him to come and find us – we are 12 lost sheep,” said Mr Grech, himself an abuse victim.
Mgr Scicluna, who was recently appointed president of a Vatican board hearing appeals in clerical sex abuse, said: “I understand the anger of those who are abused – for 10 years of my life that was the reality I faced every day.”
He was referring to his role as Promoter of Justice at the Vatican in which he reformed the Church’s statutes on reporting cases of sexual abuse. “What is certain is that they need a long process of therapy, and the court is there to assure them justice,” he said, adding that he will bow to the court’s decision.
“Mr Grech has a right to say what he said and I cannot shy away from the commitment to help these people.”
It is the reason, he said, why he set up a new Safeguarding Commission, with a full-time head.
Questions and answers
The 55-year-old Archbishop was asked some quickfire questions. These are his replies:
Many are comparing you to former Archbishop Michael Gonzi. Do you feel the parallel is justified?
“In terms of height most definitely, but I am sure I’ve eaten more ricotta pie than him. Other than that we are two different characters.”
Had you not followed your Episcopal calling, would you rather have become a footballer, a panel beater or bus driver?
“My goodness. Footballer is definitely out: whenever I played football I used to be told, ‘just keep running on the side so you won’t be in our way’. I’d choose a bus driver but that depends on whether I manage to reach the clutch and brake pedals, which is quite a feat.”
Who would you chose as a dinner guest Dom Mintoff or Archbishop Gonzi?
“Dom Mintoff. It is said that he fascinated his guests with his stories, and fed them little food... that’s good for the diet.”