The Pope's visit over the weekend, as his predecessor's visits, has served well to focus on the universal Church, in general, and the Church in Malta, in particular. Although perhaps not to the extent of Pope John Paul II (though not much less, mind you), Pope Benedict XVI has rallied the Roman Catholic troops. The paedophilia issue and the subsequent "crisis" it has created for the Pope and the universal Church did not deter the Maltese from attending or following the weekend's activities in their tens of thousands. At least until the time of writing, not the slightest incident was reported; not even a protest of sorts. The organisation has been perfect and things have moved to perfection.

This involved many months of preparation by both the government and the Church, and included the armed forces, the police and civil protection authorities. The stages set up at the Granaries and other locations were truly innovative both in design, materials used and colour. Gone were the gaudy colours used for Pope John Paul. And here I must really hail my friend designer Carlo Schembri, whom I have had the privilege of getting to know in recent months. One can read the enthusiasm and excitement in his face as he discusses some innovative idea he has been toying with or some project he is undertaking. The use of cardboard in the construction of the stages is truly ingenious and typical of Carlo. Well done!

The main issues raised so far in speeches by both the Pope and President George Abela are four: the indissolubility of marriage, human respect and charity for immigrants, the strengthening of our faith and (albeit indirectly, but I suppose inevitably) "cases of abuse". Just some brief points. The Catholic Church is firm in its opposition to divorce. Malta is practically unique in the world in not having divorce legislation. Yet recent surveys have shown that there is now a slight majority on the island in favour of divorce. I suppose two reasons for this are the increasing number of separated couples and the general deterioration in family values. I still have some mixed feelings about the issue but will not enter into a debate here.

Regarding immigrants, I have no doubt that full respect and charity is due within the ambit of the law and the various European and international programmes in operation. I believe that the Maltese authorities are doing their utmost to provide the best support in the circumstances to immigrants (much fewer now). But a related subject that comes to mind is the treatment of immigrants and other persons of colour by the so-called "bouncers" (I call them "big bullies") in various night spots. We have had death and serious injuries allegedly caused by these "private enforcers of law and order". There have been some court cases, but, to my knowledge, no effective legislation or control. No more need be said about this.

Now back to faith. I do not believe that the number of "faithful" has decreased considerably over the years, in terms of the Maltese believing in God. However, the number of those attending Sunday Mass has significantly. These are often referred to as "non-practising Catholics". To me this is a misnomer. Does one have to attend Sunday Mass to be practising? Religion is personal and can be practised individually outside a church. Attending a church service is a manifestation of faith but not faith itself. And, indeed, how many "practising" Catholics actually actively participate in a function? Do any of the young people loitering at the back of the church participate, or are they just there because it has become a practice?

Finally, on "cases of abuse" referred to by President Abela. This is a complex issue which cannot be generalised. Unfortunately, it has. In my opinion the story (worldwide) of child abuse by members of the clergy (and others, such as teachers, of course) is the following. First of all, I do not suppose that it raised its ugly head in the 20th century but probably centuries before. When a young child is abused he is either too young to realise that there is something wrong, or, if he is of a certain age, he might report the matter to his parents. Normally, the latter would not want to report the incident due to shame, and certainly not to the police. Should they report a member of the clergy to the ecclesiastical authorities or even the head of the church school, then it has been the tradition for these authorities to protect their members or "brothers" as they have been called.

And this is what the now Pope did way back in the case of the famous (later defrocked) priest in the United States. It was perfectly normal. The church would investigate/prosecute internally, but no more. Luckily, thanks to disclosure of a number of cases in the US for a start, many abused "children" all over the world are coming forward. The Church has now divested itself of its function as sole judging authority and instructed all ecclesiastical authorities to report cases of abuse to the police. So there we are. Let us now look forward to a new regime to deal with this truly sad issue. And let us all unite with the Pope and the Church to support them in the tackling of the issue, instead of just accusing, criticising and condemning.