The fruitful and positive comments made by Monica Wiedersum (The Sunday Times, October,7) in her reactions to the debate on the Church organised by The Times, made me ponder on the responsibilities that we, lay persons, have with regards to the propagation of the truth as has been handed down to us by Christ.

Ms Weidersum makes her point very clearly when she emphatically states: “We are all part of that (the Catholic) Church and we cannot just leave it to bishops and priests to speak out on their own, from pulpits and in print and do little else about it”.

In the Dogmatic Constitution of the Church (Lumen Gentium, 31) adopted by Vatican Council II, it is stated: “They (the laity) are called there (in the world) by God and by exercising their proper function and led by the spirit of the gospel they may work for the sanctification of the world from within as a leaven. In this way they make Christ known to others, especially by the testimony of a life resplendent in faith, hope and charity”.

Gone are the days when we, lay people, are simply spectators, when we keep hidden in the depths of our hearts that light that God endowed us with on the day we were baptised. It is time for “each one of us to stand up and be counted” as Ms Weidersum concluded in her contribution. It seems even here, in Catholic Malta, whenever a bishop or priest speaks out to defend basic principles they are simply told to shut up for the simple reason that they are clerics.

Let us, therefore, lay persons, speak out and express what we deem fit and just for the good of humanity at large. Christ came on earth to preach the Good News to everyone and we, as members of His Church should see to it that His message is transmitted forcefully and authentically and not diluted to suit the whims of any one.

We, lay persons, can be witnesses of our faith by example. It is up to us to live our faith wherever we are, be it at home or at work. It is “in the testimony of our life” as the document on the Church proclaims, that we are asked to show one and all what we stand for. When dealing with political matters we have all kinds of people airing their views through various media even though the majority is not directly involved in the running of the country. But when it comes to faith and morals we seem to be indifferent and unaffected and leave it solely to the clergy to speak out as if we are not members of the same Church.

We are the salt of the earth as Jesus addresses us as Christians. If the slat loses its flavour it is good for nothing except to be trampled upon. So it is with us, as living members of the Church, we have to remain faithful to Christ’s teachings and keep in union with Him through the sacraments if we want to keep our faith alive. Unless we are convinced of what we believe in and live the life we profess we are not worthy of being called Christians.