When Jesuit Josef Briffa told a student of his he was “very dear in the eyes of God”, the message meant for someone else had deeper resonances within his heart.
“This was a very powerful experience. I remember clearly telling him these words and I realised this wasn’t something which was coming from me or my mind but it was a more radical conviction, and God was saying those same words to me,” the newly-ordained priest says.
This was but another milestone in a path which took Fr Briffa, 31, from being an eight-year-old attending St Aloysius College, run by the Jesuits, to becoming a priest in the same order.
At 17, he left the college to study archaeology at University while remaining involved with the Jesuits.
Following that, he spent two years as a novice in Genoa, where he was immersed in the Jesuit way of life, including the spiritual exercises – the month-long retreat which “builds the personal relationship with God, which is the foundation for everything to come”.
The novitiate also included manual work, which in Fr Briffa’s case was at the Piccola Casa della Divina Provvidenza, known as Cottolengo, in Turin.
Then it was time for the obligatory philosophy, for which Fr Briffa spent two years in Padua. Did the study of philosophy, which is for the most part a search for truth, cast any doubts on his faith or even cause him to lose it?
“If you’re seeking the truth, there is no contradiction with what we believe. I’m not saying those who don’t believe or who find it difficult to believe are not seeking the truth,” the soft-spoken, articulate priest says.
But how does he reconcile philosophy’s constant search for truth with Christ, who said he was the truth?
“It never caused any particular problems for me. The Christian believes the truth is the person of Christ. It’s not so much the ‘package’, so to speak, of the teaching, but the teaching comes from Christ and what the Church passed on through the years. Providing answers, most of the time, is not so straightforward,” he says.
“A lot of people want a quick and ready answer on everything, whereas it is the return to Christ and his experience which is the Christian’s search for truth.
“Obviously, the Church has a role of helping out – even myself as a priest – in this search, but at the same time it is also the Church’s conviction that a person sincerely seeking the truth is on the same path.”
After the two-year spell in Padua, he returned to his alma mater for another two years, where he helped run the school. Then it was time for further studying, this time three years of theology at Heythrop College in London.
He was then ordained as a deacon, and went on to Rome to study for a four-year licentiate in scripture, which he is learning in the original languages, a task facilitated by his archaeological background. And last week, he was ordained a priest committing to a life of poverty, obedience and chastity. He believes that even though adhering to these vows might be tough, these actually liberate him to be able to serve God better.
How can a man commit to celibacy?
Fr Briffa thinks it is possible when nurtured by a spiritual life, and even though an intimate relationship with a specific person is missing, this frees oneself up to be open to others, to giving out one’s life in a full way to others and to being totally committed to God.
He never had a girlfriend, as he felt it would have been dishonest on the other person knowing he was moving towards the commitment of priesthood.
Detractors of celibacy attribute the cases of child abuse by priests to this vow, but Fr Briffa believes the connection is not so straightforward.
He believes child abuse by priests is not tied so much to the priest’s celibacy as it is to power.
“In pastoral life you meet vulnerable people; a person who comes to you with a problem is vulnerable. If the way in which you relate to people is not healthy, problems will arise because you will abuse of the situation,” he says.
“This doesn’t apply only to priests and religious but the first risk is in families as well. It’s such an ugly thing that it’s difficult to understand, whether it happens in the Church or in a family, and it is tied with relationships that aren’t in their proper place.”
Even though he has been walking in this path for 10 years, priesthood still feels very fresh for Fr Briffa. What is the priest’s place in society?
“It’s our role as priests and Jesuits to accompany people in their search on a spiritual level. A lot of people seek out priests for counsel and advice, and this role is still present,” the Jesuit says.
“If the Church is ensconced in its own world it loses out on its role. It has to stay present in society and keep challenging it because of this ongoing search which leads and inspires us.”