This article is not about Joseph Muscat. My contribution is about another Joseph, the late Archbishop Emeritus Joseph Mercieca. During the funeral Mass, the main celebrant chose to call Joseph a “man of four seasons”.
This is an expression used to depict St Thomas Moore. St Thomas was an English politician who courageously stood up without trepidation to his values and faith. He paid dearly with his life for standing up to King Henry VIII.
Although I fully concur with the review, given what the late Archbishop Mercieca had to endure, I prefer to consider him as Joseph, the bridge builder. This was a recurrent characteristic of his throughout his long turbulent episcopal. His chosen motto, lkoll aħwa fi Kristu, all brethren in Christ, clearly points to a man who wanted to bridge with all, wherever they stood in life.
Archbishop Mercieca always came across as a prudent, humane, gentle and humble person. Ironically, my most cherished memory is when I had applied for my priesthood dispensation, 13 years after he had ordained me as a Capuchin priest. He was not judgemental.
Neither did he try to persuade meotherwise. On the contrary, he empathised with me by trying to bridge with my concerns. At the end, he blessed me and assured me that God will always find another a way to go around me so that I will continue serving the community. This was typical of the man.
During the various political and social upheavals, Joseph Mercieca was always a bridge builder. He was never a rabble-rouser
During the various political and social upheavals, Joseph was always a bridge builder. He was never a rabble-rouser, an agitator or a confrontational person, although he had good opportunities to be so.
He was always a voice of reason. He constantly chose to be a peacemaker and build bridges instead of walls. He did not exclude anyone, although he was excluded several times. He always tried hard to comprehend other people’s point of view and reason things out, even when it was next to impossible.
As a person fully committed to his faith and endowed with deep Gozitian wittiness, he chose to meet his opponents with reason and gentleness rather than with force and retaliation. During the acrimonious Church schools saga, which the then Labour government had imprudently commenced, Joseph invited his opponents for discussion. Sadly, particular thugs, tried to physically attack him and found it fitting to ransack his Curia, maybe in an attempt to dent his determination and spirit.
As a man of faith, he kept his cool, assertiveness and determination to remain focused on the real issues.
All those who lived throughout those turbulent and unsettled times are conscious of how our nation was deeply politically polarised. Just imagine if Joseph was unrestrained in his words or imprudent in his actions? Possible civil unrest would have ensured.
Some questioned then his prudence. Others misunderstood his silence. Proving his detectors wrong, these qualities were to be his trump card.
At the end of the day, Joseph won over those who vehemently sought to restrain the voice of reason.
As a healthy democratic nation, we need to have politicians and community leaders who are bridge builders. We need persons who can lead us to reason things out. We cannot afford to have once more politicians and community leaders who build ‘ideological walls’ of division.
Builders of walls are those who feel threatened and insecure. We need politicians and community leaders who uphold high ethical standards and are accountable to them. We need politicians and community leaders who have the common good at heart in all occasions. Although political divergence is part of the political dialectics, political parties and others need to stop the continuous ‘parochial’ and political bickering.
We do not need trash or confrontational politics. We need politicians and community leaders who foster a culture of inclusion rather than that of exclusion. Thus, we need politicians and community leaders who constantly are seeking consensus and common ground.
We cannot afford having the presence of rabble-rousers and agitators. We need politicians and community leaders who perceive authority and power as platforms to serve the community and make it a better place for all to live in.
We need politicians and community leaders who are mentors and ‘salt and light’ to others, in particular to our young generation. We do not need any prima donnas or self-centred leaders seeking only their self-gratifications and enrichment.
Archbishop Joseph Mercieca crossed his last bridge into the house of His Father. His demise is not only a loss for his family and the Church but to all honest citizens.
Yes, Malta can afford having more of the likes and calibre of Joseph, a man with a high level of honesty and integrity, committed to building bridges rather than constructing walls of division.
Thank you and farewell dear Joseph.
Albert Buttigieg is a Nationalist Party candidate on the 9th and 10th districts and St Julian’s deputy mayor.