Recently, I had the opportunity to attend the golden anniversary of the priesthood of Fr John Mary Cauchi, originally of Għarb, in Sao Miguel de Taipu, Paraiba, Brazil.

I always admired his dedication to help bring about land reform in his region through the Catholic Church’s Pastoral Land Commission. During the anniversary Mass I presented him with a copy of a book I had just published. It dealt with the commission and he participated in the project.

Apart from five chapters in the second part that deal with Fr Cauchi’s participation, including the Agrarian conflict as was reported in the newspapers, the book offers readers an opportunity to have a glimpse of the teaching and involvement of the Catholic Church in Brazil’s struggle for land reform.

An English version of the book can be found on the website of the Gozo Diocese and Gozo Bishop Mario Grech wrote an excellent and extensive forward for the book.

As magisterial support to Fr John’s involvement, I concluded my epilogue by referring to the thoughts of Pope Francis in his speech at the World Meeting of Popular Movements in Bolivia, when he defended land reform and harshly criticised agro-buisness.

Citing the social teaching of the Church, Pope Francis recalled that “land reform, apart from being a political necessity, is a moral obligation”.

He is preoccupied with the exclusion of so many farmers, not because of wars and natural disasters, but, rather, because they are expelled.