I refer to Martin Scicluna’s column (Times of Malta, November 13), which echoes the rebellious cries of many who keep beating the drum of modernism.

They go on to argue that they believe in the Church but it just needs to adapt. Ironically, what they actually mean is that the Church should change its teachings. Modernists rang out the loudest chimes on their bell tower when Pope Benedict XVI resigned.

To them, he was a reincarnation of Pope St Pius X, who loved prowling the marble corridors in his red shoes. In Pope Francis, modernists thought they were going to see a ‘neo-Catholestant’ (Catholic/Protestant) hybrid sort of Church where female priests, the removal of celibacy and the rest of their agenda was going to be welcomed.

The bad news for them, however, is that Pope Francis is as Catholic as his predecessor. As Pope, he has referred to the devil and hell in the past eight months more than Benedict did in his eight-year reign. As Archbishop of Buenos Aires he had protested at the introduction of same-sex civil unions, even saying that it was “a move of the devil to deceive God’s children”.

No Pope is liberal, each Pope leads the Church from one generation to the next, and each one simply has a different style. The Church will always teach men with divine authority because Christ has promised to always guide it, thus his Church must at all times teach and believe the same body of truths.

With regard to contraception, again the teaching is clear. In paragraph 2,370 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, not to mention Pope John Paul II’s harsh opposition to contraception: “What is taught by the Church on contraception does not belong to material which is freely debatable among theologians”.

The Church is therefore not democratic and does not sway to public opinion, and this is something people need to learn and accept.

As we find in the Gospel of St John: “If you are truly my disciples you will abide in my word”.

In Apocalypse III, XVI: “So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth.”

There is indeed need for reform, a reform not called for by liberals, schismatics, pagans or the media but reforms called for by Christ who calls us daily to deny ourselves and take up the cross in humility.

Unless we abandon our human ideologies and humble ourselves in obedience we will continuously find ourselves opposing divine teachings.