The Christmas message that could have been

On Christmas Day, outgoing Gozo Bishop Grech sent the congregation away with an abstract Christmas message that fell short of addressing current issues for which the faithful are desperately seeking answers

In the 15-minute sermon Bishop Grech read out, he spoke about the open wounds of society and the bandages that cover them. Christ then treats these injuries with his love. It is a beautiful allegory, but one that only works if used to exemplify a non-abstract and unnecessarily lengthy message. To pen this piece, I listened to the recording of the sermon at least three times and I still cannot make neither head nor tail of what he wanted to say. There was, however, nothing about the recent drug case in Gozo; nothing about the 22 Serbian children who are facing deportation and definitely nothing about the corruption that has overtaken our island and its soul.

Christmas – in the Christian sense – is not just about unity. It is the birthday of Jesus, whose teachings on justice, compassion and love exceed those of any other individual of his time, and who befriended the marginalised and spoke up against corrupt politicians and practices. It is a time when we remember that, even though the injustices of the world are great and doing evil is easier than doing good, there is a moral compass that gives us direction.

I received my formation in the principles of justice and common good from the teachings of the Catholic Church and my fight against corruption and activism in promoting equality is founded on these two critical aspects of Catholic Church doctrine. I am no theologian, and by no means consider myself a fervent Catholic. However, I have always found that if we as individuals focus on justice and the common good, our societies will work more harmoniously. And it is for this reason that I was stunned that Bishop Grech could not find a couple of minutes to speak about what I consider as pertinent issues that require the guidance and input of the Church.

Drug misuse and addiction

Last week, two Gozitans in their late twenties were arrested after drugs were found in their apartment. A couple of days later, ten kilograms of cannabis washed up in Gozo. Grech could have used these two news items and spoken up about the need to understand why there is drug misuse and, if it has increased, why. Fair enough, all hell broke out when Grech spoke about drugs as “a serious wound in Gozo” and of “dealers... selling drugs during the feasts,” in his homily for the feast of the Assumption at the Cathedral in 2017. This does not, I humbly argue, prevent him – or any other priest – from providing the congregation with information on the sterling work Caritas is doing, or saying how addiction may be the result of mental health problems (depression and anxiety) or social difficulties (financial difficulties and unemployment).

The more we avoid talking about the subject, the more marginalised those who misuse drugs will feel and the lesser the likelihood is that they will resort to getting help. We need people to understand that drug misuse and addiction is often the rational response to underlying issues, and what better platform than the church which welcomes everyone.

Poverty, Greed and Corruption

On 7 December, The Times reported how the foodbank is feeding 10 times more people than four years ago. A few weeks after, on Boxing Day, the same newspaper reported how the foodbank had seen a 50 per cent increase in the average number of families using its services this year, compared to 2018.

Asking why more people are relying on foodbanks when the economy is said to be performing at its very best is not political. Bishops and the Church cannot only take care of the pastoral needs of the congregation. Just look at how Pope Francis opened a new night and day-care centre for on 15th November. Two days after, On the World Day of the Poor, Pope Francis was quoted as saying that “the greed of a few is adding to the poverty of many others”. And when the question of greed comes up, we cannot avoid speaking of corruption which, sadly, has reached unprecedented levels on our shores.

Members of the congregation who I know on a personal level were left as shocked as I was when the subject was left entirely out of Grech’s homily. He did not even refer to the joint statement he drafted with Archbishop Charles Scicluna earlier this month urging citizens to go into protests “with a calm sense of purpose” and the intent “to promote truth and justice with charity and respect for one another.” The joint statement is a bit of farce, especially when the fight we are fighting is one which is also inherently moral. Let’s not forget that a woman was murdered because she was in the process of further revealing how tight and embedded the webs of corruption are in our country.

It is corruption which makes citizens poorer, leading to social inequality and –if you allow me – corollary to substance misuse and addictions. On the International Day Against Corruption (10/12), Pope Francis tweeted: “Corruption undermines the dignity of the person and shatters all good and beautiful ideals. All of society is called upon to make a concrete commitment to combat the cancer of corruption which, with the illusion of quick and easy profits, in reality impoverishes everyone. #IACD2019”.

Undoubtedly, any of the above would have given

Bishop Grech enough material to send the congregation home with something to discuss at table during Christmas lunch and also to sleep on...

I understand that some of my readers will disregard this article on the basis that the Church must not interfere with matters of state, and I do support this reasoning. However, the Church should speak up if the common good is being put into manifest jeopardy by the state. If the governance of our country is impoverishing the life and soul of the community, then the Church – I argue – has the moral duty to act and can no longer hide behind abstract messages and interwoven analogies that the layman may not understand. What we need is succinct and direct messages.

We are living in trying times. We need the authoritative moral institutions of our nation to speak up about what is harming our society. We need you to strongly condemn the fact that corrupt practices have become the norm and protect those who are fighting against injustice and corruption.

The people of Malta and Gozo have their eyes on you.