Gozo Bishop Mario Grech gives his views about the extravagant Holy Week celebrations, wealth and human values, abortion, poverty. Interview by Keith Micallef.

You recently criticised certain aspects of the Holy Week celebrations in the Maltese Islands, saying we are going overboard when it comes to popular manifestations. Why are you worried?

We need to purify popular religiosity like pageants and exhibitions. There is nothing wrong with them but we need to delve into the deeper meaning of Easter. If these manifestations do not help us better understand the significance of Christ’s resurrection, they are nothing more than antics.

Are you referring also to Good Friday processions, especially the extravagance in the costumes of biblical figures and the Roman soldiers who have become part and parcel of this event?

I would prefer a more sober manifestation on Good Friday with a procession of the Cross, in order to place more emphasis on the religious aspect.

Are you suggesting something like the Way of the Holy Cross which is presided over by the Pope at the Colosseum in Rome?

Yes. The fact that in some localities they even have the cavalry and detachments of soldiers says it all. We have gone overboard. I worry that many faithful are missing the Good Friday religious function, which is the core event, in order to get ready for the procession.

You are in a position to change all this. What are you going to do to rectify the situation without facing a backlash from the grassroots?

I am not criticising the volunteers involved in these events, but the system which allows such practices to go overboard, including the Church which has failed to educate the faithful. While there is an element of exhibitionism there are many who participate in these events in good faith. Spending a fortune on a Good Friday costume is a contradiction. Yet, deep-rooted traditions are not easy to change.

Let us hope that no mother will lead a campaign to eradicate maternity

You seem to be adopting a defeatist attitude…

I might have some moral influence as bishop, but such decisions are not clear cut. I can give some direction on the matter. Parish priests are conscious of this situation and are normally very keen for the Holy Week to be over. Why should they be full of tension over matters like who shall carry the statue and the costumes?

Are you planning to start a debate on the matter?

My proposal is for Good Friday processions to be shifted to another day, but I must wait for such an idea to mature in order to be floated at the right moment, through a bottom-up approach.

Last year you had also expressed deep concerns on drug trafficking during village feasts. Many felt this was an unfair generalisation. Are you still of the same opinion?

Not at all. I was very prudent in my remarks.

But volunteers and enthusiasts felt aggrieved by your claims…

I did not say that everybody involved was committing such acts. I wanted to throw more light on drug trafficking just like everybody acknowledges that alcohol abuse in feasts is rife. There is no room for such acts in Christian celebrations. I recently met representatives of Gozitan anti-addiction NGO Oasi, who told me that drug abuse in Gozo had reached alarming levels. The problem is not only related to feasts but this is a social plague which we cannot keep ignoring or giving a free hand for such abuse to continue.

In my recent homily on the occasion of the Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows I focused on maternity and empathised with all mothers whose children have fallen victim to drugs. Feedback from parish priests is also very worrying.

Do people still confide in parish priests whenever facing personal problems?

Yes. Parish priests are very close to the people. Our place is not on the altar but with the most vulnerable. While the gospel says that when performing alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand does, I know for a fact that parish priests are assisting a lot of persons in need.

You recently remarked that the Church is not completely in touch with modern realities and has to reposition itself to remain relevant. Why?

The Gospel only makes sense if it throws light on reality around us.  There is no clear demarcation between spiritual and everyday life. I believe the Church still needs to build that bridge and translate God’s teachings. Though the country seems to be doing very well economically, I am worried that we have a large deficit of God.  If this urge to create more wealth is not in tandem with efforts to keep God as the epicentre of life, I fear we might not go very far. All our achievements will fall to pieces.

Are you referring to fundamental values like love, respect and tolerance?

Yes. My worries are not just for the Christian community but especially society in general. It seems like the anti-humanist culture is raising its head. It is as if we are stripping off our humanity. After all Christians are those who respect human dignity. This is where Catholic faith can help as it can be a guide to strengthen respect for human heritage.  If we become wealthier but get poorer in our sense of humanity, we do not have a long way ahead.

Are you very worried that this is already happening?

Yes. Poverty has become a political football, which irks me a lot. I am worried that little or nothing is being said on the poverty in human values. Lack of respect and tolerance are just some of the symptoms. It is quite ironic that in a society advocating pluralism and democracy, some are being publicly lynched for expressing contrasting views.

On the other hand you seem to be very keen on secularism. Last November you stated that as Gozo bishop you would be declining State invitations such as dinners. Why?

The Church in Malta had a prominent role in the formation of the nation’s identity as well as in society. However, in this day and age the Church should take a step back, as I fear that the message being conveyed through my presence on such occasions is one of power and civil authority.  I would like to distance myself, to make the point that the Church is closer to the vulnerable than to power.

However, your move has not been reciprocated by the Maltese diocese. This is sending mixed messages.

This is my personal stance and not the Church’s and others are free to make their choices. Such comparisons do not hold water as my commitments as Gozo bishop are limited when compared to those of Malta’s archbishop. I trust that even Mgr Charles Scicluna shares my views in principle, but his circumstances might make it more difficult to follow the same footsteps. As I see it, the two bishops are complementing each other and giving the faithful a sense of direction.

There seem to be calls to legalise abortion in Malta. How will the Church counteract this campaign?

There is not a lot to argue about on this issue. It is not a religious matter. We are not debating theological themes like the Holy Trinity or the presence of God in the Eucharist. This is all about human values and unfortunately it is testament to the crisis in values we are currently experiencing.

In a recent visit to Dar Ġużeppa Debono in Gozo, which was founded more than 30 years ago by my predecessor to support young mothers against committing abortion, I made it amply clear that we cannot meddle with life. 

The Church had been accused of taking an excessively militant approach on the issue of divorce in 2011. However, given that the issue of abortion has much more serious repercussions, many believe that the Church now must show its mettle.

I have been crystal clear on abortion and the value of life which is absolute. We also need to give support to those who might fall into the temptation of committing abortion.

Are you planning to beef up the services at Dar Ġużeppa Debono, in order to implement what you are preaching?

I have already asked for the introduction of new support services including for fathers. Recently a parish priest told me about his recent encounter with a mother of a two-year-old child who expressed her gratitude for my vociferous campaign against abortion. “Had it been for his father my son would have not been born in the first place as he wanted me to commit abortion,” she told him.

These are the cases which we need to assist as this mother is having to bring up her child alone, with no alimony.

This is where society needs to act, by finding ways and means to help people who commit these heroic acts.

The last thing we should do is to condemn people and for this reason I am also calling for counselling services to be available to those who have committed abortion.

I was recently struck by the account of women who confided in me her sense of guilt over a miscarriage caused by the emotional trauma inflicted on her by the partner who did not want the baby.

Let us hope that no mother will lead a campaign to eradicate maternity.

Apart from the call to legalise abortion, there have been concerns that the government is conveying mixed messages. While stating it has no mandate to do such a thing, it has removed reference to the unborn child from a domestic violence Bill, fuelling criticism that it is paving the way for abortion. Do you subscribe to such fears?

Yes. I am yet to find an argument in favour of deleting the reference to the unborn. Even the Attorney General has stated that there is no safeguard if this clause is removed from the law. While I welcome the government’s repeated statements that abortion is not on its agenda, I cannot understand what is going on. It would be better if such a clause remains.

Another controversial Bill was the one which legalised same-sex marriages as any references to motherhood and fatherhood was removed. Was this move too extreme?

Though this change was made on paper, societal ethos still make that distinction. Ultimately, it is not a document which distinguishes between mothers and fathers but the values in people’s hearts. While not entering into the motives why such references were deleted from the law, motherhood and fatherhood are still very strong in people’s frame of mind.

But when a Catholic MP is faced with ethical decisions which conflict with his own beliefs, which line should they follow, the party’s or their conscience?

They have to listen to their conscience. A Catholic MP cannot impose his religious views on society, but human values like the right to life do not fall in this category, they are part of the common heritage of mankind. I am worried that at times the ethical aspect is being overlooked when taking decisions. Ethics have nothing to do with morality.  Ethics are a benchmark to measure if something is right or wrong.

What is your message to those who are feeling detached from the Church, maybe due to personal circumstances which conflict with its teachings?

I urge these people to come close to God, not necessarily the Church. My wish is for people to confide in God and when that happens, one might discover other dimensions like the Christian community. There is still room for individuals feeling left out or whose values clash with some aspects of the Church’s teachings. Nobody can claim that they have fulfilled their mission on earth. Some have made more way than others, but if one is open to God they can still overcome moral, theological and human impediments. However, it is up to God to determine when this happens. In this respect patience is a virtue.