I have long been waiting to comment on the homily delivered by Bishop Grech on the occasion of the feast of Our Lady of Loreto (September 1). Bishop Grech used the religious occasion to address a subject of great pastoral and national importance: our attitude towards irregular migration. Commentaries about the appointment of the new Secretary of State for the Vatican (equivalent to a Prime Minister in a secular state); the Syrian crisis and the untimely death of Dun Anton Sammut took precedence.

It was not a futile waiting period. In the meantime Archbishop Cremona used the feast of Our Lady of Victories to briefly address the subject, albeit in strong and effective imagery. Mary’s motherhood of Christ and her solidarity with Elizabeth were the pegs used by Archbishop Cremona to drive the subject home. His audience included most political leaders.

I was also informed that Bishop Scicluna spoke about the phenomenon in at least one homily. While preaching to the St Julians parish community on the occasion of their parish feast, he said that the way we treat others, including irregular immigrants, would be more important on judgement day than our voluntary work during the festa celebrations.

There is a unifying tread in the homilies of the three bishops. The celebration of Christian festivities should direct us to God through loving others. Our commemoration of Christian saints would be very myopic and futile if it does not help us to incarnate the Christian ethos in the here and now.

I have in recent weeks criticised our Bishops for not taking a very strong stand when Government threatened to adopt a push back policy to make Europe smell the coffee. The futility of that policy should be now manifest to all. The Bishops should also have taken a strong stand against the tsunami of hate and racism that infested the social networks. I now gladly note that the homily of Bishop Grech and the references in homilies made by Archbishop Cremona and Bishop Scicluna are therefore welcome indeed.

Also quite welcome is the twist Bishop Grech gave to the whole issue. While everyone looks at the irregular migration as a problem and a challenge, Bishop Grech looked at it also as an opportunity. The presence of irregular migrants could be a grace if Christians treat the subject not just from a humanitarian point of view but also from a religious one.

Quite naturally he pointed out the difficulties encountered, the intense debate it causes, the material needs elicited as well as a social and cultural shock generated. More mature reflection was needed on how the people should live this historic moment. Bishop Grech tried to help in the process of the mature reflection needed by buttressing his position with several references to the Old and the New Testament. He was more than correct to point out that the migration experience is part of the DNA of the People of God. It was also one of the personal experiences lived by Jesus Christ himself.

The Church was doing a lot through the Emigrants’ Commission and the Jesuit Refugee Centre. Bishop Grech realistically pointed out that more remained to be done for the Church to adopt its pastoral work among the migrants and to educate the Maltese and Gozitans who were living this new experience. He passed from words into action announcing that he has recently formed Diocesan Commission which within a couple of months would present him with its proposals for a way forward.

The usual troglodytes who inhabit cyberspace were very active and vociferous in their act of ‘Bishop Grech bashing’. I am certain that he did not lose any sleep. What is worrying though, is that among these xenophobes there are those who try to justify their racism in the name of Christianity. One can hardly think of a worse perversion.

The banality of those who do not acknowledge the universality of Christ’s precept ‘love others as I love you’ beggars belief. But the attempt to justify this abysmal deficiency in the name of Christianity is preposterous in the extreme.