My experience in human relations in Milan with our Muslim brothers and sisters is quite similar to the trends in Malta. I have some good Muslim friends working at San Raffaele Hospital and God gave me the grace to receive two of them in the Catholic Church. I also had two nurses who converted to Islam.
In Malta, like in other European countries, there are two ways of thinking. Everyone is free to hold his or her opinion, as long as it respects the right of liberty. The homily given by the young priest at Marsascala is one way of thinking and I am assured that the majority were in agreement with him. I cannot judge as I was not present, but I accept the main points that he presented in the press.
Another trend is that of people like Sandro Spiteri, who disagreed with the priest in a rather headmaster-like manner in the sacristy. I agree with him that the “overt leaders of the Muslim community in Malta are not fundamentalist”. He rightly calls for building bridges, which is the pastoral approach of the Church in Malta and elsewhere.
In Milan, Muslims will be building a much larger mosque than that of Barcelona. Cardinal Angelo Scola came out in favour as long as this will serve as a house for prayer. I wrote about this in the Catholic paper Leħen is-Sewwa, and from Catholics in Malta I received three letters condemning the cardinal’s position.
I follow in the footsteps of Pope Francis and I was glad to read in the apostolic exhortation Evangelii Gaudium the respect we should have for Muslims and their beliefs. This should ease the conscience of many people who have serious concerns, often mixed with fear about fundamentalism in Malta and across the world.
We know Islam started 700 years after Christianity and there are no parallels between them. In their dialogue with Christians, Muslims assure us that Jesus Christ in mentioned in the Koran, but only as a prophet, likewise his mother Mary.
However, the Pope exhorts us all for dialogue, just like the former Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams did. Dr Williams even sparked a big debate when he suggested some sharia laws might be used in Great Britain. He defended himself by asserting that we accept some Catholic and Jewish law, but this did not quench the fury.
It is, however, to be remembered that the Irish and Spanish constitutions were recent examples and mild when compared with Pope Boniface in 1302: “We declare, announce and define that it is altogether necessary for salvation for every human creature to be subject to the Roman Pontiff.” We all believed that what the Pope declared was right and good, just like the Muslims. We even imposed these dogmas because we could.
As Maltese Catholics we need to be more mature in our beliefs, and more tolerant and loving, as Pope Francis exhorts us
Today we shudder at Muslims killing Christians and minorities in Iraq. Many innocent women and children are being massacred by violent people.
We shudder today as Christians when during the Albigensian Crusade in the 13th century the entire population of Beziers was wiped out. Just as Muslims today believe in heaven if they die for their creed, the crusaders would not die because God would know His own.
For centuries, Catholics had the same attitude regarding Jews. The Third Lateran Council in 1179 ruled that no Christian could be servant to a Jew. It forbade Jews to appear in public during Easter. Pious Spaniards sprinkled holy water on the slave ships to baptise captives. Today we are rather embarrassed as Christians and readily shout ‘mea culpa’.
Time and various popes wiped out these black pages of Church history. The Vatican Council, through the efforts of eminent theologians, introduced the principle of freedom of conscience and liberty of religion, which at the time of the Inquisition, even in Malta, was unacceptable. Pope John Paul II declared that the Holy See “has always been vigorous in defending freedom of conscience and liberty of religion”.
Some people doubt this, but on the other hand, Muslims do not accept freedom of religion or the building of Christian churches in their countries. This is what the Holy See demands, but with a single exception, this liberty is not granted. On the contrary, as in the case of Mosul,Christians are persecuted if they do not convert to Islam.
On behalf of the Catholic bishops of Iraq, Patriarch Louis Raphael Sako of the Chaldean Catholic Church made a very moving appeal to save the Nineveh Plain from the jihadists. Amid cries for international protection there are no signs of a quick solution for the fate of more than 100,000 people who fled from the villages of the Nineveh Plain. This same plea is being often repeated by Pope Francis, who even sent his envoy to bring about peace in Iraq. He also stated that he is willing to go to Iraq.
I think we are all justified to withdraw our sympathy towards Muslim fundamentalists. I also expect more condemnations from the Muslim world, but perhaps fear makes them shut their mouths. I abhor these fundamentalists not because they are Muslims, but because their beliefs are often tinted with violence. I dislike every form of fundamentalism, even if it is Catholic or anything else.
So while looking at two faces of the coin, we should, as the young priest Stephen Attard said, promote an authentic Christian life in the midst of strife and prayers for those dying and suffering for their faith.
As Maltese Catholics we need to be more mature in our beliefs, and more tolerant and loving, as Pope Francis exhorts us.
Mgr Charles Vella is the founder of the Cana Movement.