The Church risks losing yet another generation if it does not undergo a thorough soul-searching exercise led by the new Archbishop, shed its complex trappings and focus on a simpler message of Christ, according to Church observers.
On Tuesday’s edition of Times Talk, newly appointed Archbishop Charles Scicluna said the Curia believed that an estimated 40 per cent of the Maltese went to church on Sundays.
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 the last Church census in 2006.
According to St Julian’s parish priest Fr Claude Portelli, the dwindling number of churchgoers is explained by a multitude of issues.
Maltese society underwent a huge shift in its framework, in the way people perceive the Church and its relevance, and in their priorities and values, he said.
People still attended Mass when they needed to, he noted, referring to weddings, funerals and perhaps occasions such as Christmas or Easter. Yet on a weekly basis, numbers were significantly dwindling.
The Church has been procrastinating on a number of issues; it needs to take a stand and get its own house in order
The Gospel’s message, Fr Portelli argued, had to be made more approachable.
“We seem to have added a lot of stuff which has complicated matters and detracted from the very simple message portrayed by Christ,” he said.
“People still thirst for spirituality and for a meaning in life. But, to use a business metaphor, we are not marketing ourselves in a good enough way, which renders the Church attractive to people.”
The congregation was not being addressed in the right manner. The Church had to change its approach – rather than impose, it should propose, he suggested.
The Maltese Church’s problem was that it rested on tradition and religiosity, rather than on the experience of a close encounter with God. Upon the first tremor, therefore, it was prone to crack and collapse.
The Church was also heading towards being one of quality, as opposed to quantity.
The low figures worried Fr Portelli but he would prefer a smaller church with people who attended out of true conviction, rather than a packed church full of half-hearted or distracted people.
“We need to embark on a good soul-searching exercise together with our new Archbishop. The Church has been procrastinating on a number of issues; it needs to take a stand and get its own house in order.
“Or else we risk losing a generation by becoming a Church which is viewed as irrelevant.”
Sociologist Fr Joe Inguanez has noted the ambiguity in the very slight drop in baptisms juxtaposed with the sharp decline in churchgoers.
“Baptism is voluntary: parents are still choosing to baptise their children,” he said.
“But the Catholic Church is a sacramental one – the sacraments are central. Not attending Mass is a great weakness.”
People have become selective about a number of issues. One should also examine the economic model of religion, Fr Inguanez said, where people worked overtime and would choose whether to sleep in on Sunday or go to Mass.
The Church required a strong, forward-looking vision at the topmost level. At a grassroots level, it had to be better in touch with people, in the same way that politicians conducted home visits prior to elections.
Laypeople also had to become more involved.
The content of the liturgy had to be re-evaluated and priests better trained as speakers.
Fr Colin Apap also spoke about the monotony of certain Masses, adding that he believed the actual percentage of churchgoers was even lower than 40 per cent.
“If you examine groups such as the Protestants or those gathered around [Pastor Gordon-John] Manché, which are gaining traction in Malta, the key element is personal contact,” he said.
“You are not just a number, sitting on the bench, ignored by everyone.”
Spirituality seemed to be taking the place of religiosity, he added.
He has recently accompanied a group of 40 missionaries to Kenya, many of whom had never attended Mass.
“People have to be given a meaningful role of responsibility.”