We are often told that the position of the Catholic Church in Malta has changed rather radically during the last decades.
Many people view this as something negative and are alarmed when they hear of sharply declining Sunday Mass attendances, the onset of materialism in everyday life, the severe loss of influence of the local Church in Maltese society, the decline of moral values in public life, etc.
However, upon more mature reflection, one tends to ask whether this is a true picture of the situation of the Catholic Church in Malta today.
Let us be immediately clear about one thing: it is absolutely true that the power the Catholic Church exerted in bygone times has been greatly reduced. Yet, even here, one must ask whether this is something positive or negative. Fifty years ago, the Church would dictate on a particular issue, today it just advises. A positive or negative development?
Positive, in my opinion, because it no longer imposes but, instead, just guides. In other words, the Church leaves people free on how to live their life but still firmly states its position on any particular issue. This is as it should be.
Some will retort by saying that the result of such ‘freedom’ has been that thousands have abandoned their religion, that many of today’s younger generations have no place for the Catholic Church in their lives.
The Church’s role today is that of a guide and not a regulator of public life as it was 50 years ago
Again, if we reflect further, we might come to the conclusion that it is better to have a small number of practising Catholics who do so out of genuine conviction than a far greater number who simply follow tradition, who go to church on Sunday out of habit and nothing more.
Those who regularly attend Sunday Mass know what I am referring to. This is an experience I went through recently. Sunday Mass is starting and people are still entering the church several minutes late, distracting everybody.
Sitting in front of me are a man, his wife and their teenage son. The son continually whispers into his mother’s ear, the latter responds. This goes on for several minutes. Then, the son takes a break from speaking to his mother and starts playing around with his hair. Satisfied with the state of his hair, the son starts whispering once again into his mother’s ear and the latter again responds.
Meanwhile, the priest addresses the participants and, of course, he is completely ignored by the two who are speaking to each other. This goes on right to the end of Mass.
Would you call this ‘hearing Mass’ or would it be more correct to call it ‘wasting one’s time and distracting others’?
By now, some readers will be stating that there are far more serious issues such as the relationship between Church and State. For instance, should the Church interfere in political issues?
What do we exactly understand by ‘separation of Church and State’? Yes, these are very important issues. However, here too, I would not look upon recent developments in a negative light. One has to remember that the State has to cater for everybody: Catholics, people who practise other religions, atheists, minorities, etc. On the other hand, it is the duty of the Church to publicly declare its position on issues of public importance. Yet, even here, its mission is to guide, not to impose.
Thus, the State, which is secular in nature, may enact legislation which the Church may not be in agreement with. In such a case, the Archbishop may publicly pronounce himself on a matter of national importance. It is his right to do so and he should not be criticised for doing so. If legislation is enacted which is not in conformity with the Church’s teachings, this does not mean the position of the Church has been weakened but, rather, that times have changed and that the Church’s role today is that of a guide and not a regulator of public life as it was 50 years ago.
A serious preoccupation is the decline of values in public life in Malta. This is something very real and tangible.
Some people try to correlate the reduced power of the Church in the public sphere with the recent highly unwelcome return of confrontational politics in Malta and an amoral approach to public life.
I believe this is not a correct interpretation of recent developments.
The Church cannot openly interfere in politics and other aspects of public life. It can advise. It can remind politicians that they are there to serve. It cannot do more because then it would be impinging on the role of the State itself.
Surely, the best manifestation of the fact that the Catholic Church in Malta is very much alive and well is the work it carries out among the poor, the needy, the emarginated of Maltese society.
The Church does not blow any trumpets but living monuments to its love and care are all around us.
To conclude, the Catholic Church in Malta is quite different from that of several years ago.
Today, it is smaller in number but stronger in conviction among its followers. It still plays a leading role in public life but one that takes cognisance of the fact that life has changed, that its role is now almost wholly spiritual and that the only remaining aspect of its formerly vast temporal role is that of a guide, setting moral standards to adhere to.
Desmond Zammit Marmarà is a Balzan Labour councillor.