The contrast between those who were deeply moved by the canonisation of Saint Gorg Preca, and those who think it’s a whole load of rubbish, came out in full force over the past few weeks.

People’s religious sentiments are a minefield of emotions that have to be handled very carefully, and nowhere was this more apparent than in the letter pages of our national newspapers as readers hit back at those commentators who wrote in disparaging terms about Malta’s first saint.

As often happens with such issues, it has become abundantly clear that our country is divided by a schism, neatly delineating it into “two Maltas”.

There is the Malta of the devout, practising Catholics who fiercely and proudly hold on to their faith come what may, despite the onslaught of a changing culture and society. Then there is the ever-increasing number of people who make up the other Malta: the Malta that only goes to Church to attend a family wedding, baptism or funeral. Although brought up as Catholic, this segment of the Maltese population does not necessarily consider itself as such, which is why there is such resistance to being lumped into the “we Maltese are all Catholic” category.

I’m not saying that one or the other of these two Maltas is “better” or “worse”. This is simply an observation of how things have changed. I remember a time when you would not dare voice any dissent when it came to the Catholic faith. I’m talking a mere 20 – 25 years ago here, not that far back at all.

It was taken for granted that “everyone” went to Church, to confession, and to receive Holy Communion. In a way it was a simpler time when even meeting a potential boyfriend or girlfriend produced no surprises – when it came to our belief system we all formed part of one homogenous culture; we did our best to sidestep mortal sin because we feared for our souls just like our parents taught us, and it was a foregone conclusion that in the eventuality of marriage, it would be blessed as a sacrament in Church.

Babies born to unwed mothers were once considered a shame brought on the whole family and best not talked about. In some cases they were given up for adoption to cover up the “mistake” (only to appear decades later as adults searching for their mother on Tista’ Tkun Int).

If your marriage failed, whether through your fault or your husband’s, you stayed and resigned yourself to your destiny, mostly because you had nowhere to go, but also because the humiliation of being separated and gossiped about would have been too much to bear.

As for living together? This option wasn’t even whispered, let alone considered.

So what has happened in less than a quarter of a century for such a very secular (almost defiantly brazen) Malta to have emerged? Well, it seems that, much to the bewilderment of those who have never questioned their faith, more people are re-examining everything they have been taught, and have concluded that they are not at all happy with the religion they were born into through an accident of fate. (For let’s face it, the fact that one is born in Catholic Malta is a fluke – one could have just as easily been born a Muslim in Libya).

It is also interesting to note that the people who are the most eager to distance themselves from Catholicism tend to be those who were raised in a very strict religious household. This is understandable, of course, because human nature being what it is, we tend to rebel most violently against anything that is rammed down our throats.

It is also not a coincidence that the Catholic faith has come under more scrutiny as the Maltese people have become more educated. This is not to say that our faith relies on being illiterate, but there definitely used to be more blind acceptance of what priests used to preach and what the Church used to teach.

If this were not the case (just to mention one example) then how does one explain the lack of 10-children households when we all know we should not be using contraception?

Another reason the Catholic religion just doesn’t appeal to people as much anymore is that, let’s face it, it is much easier to live your life without the spectre of the Ten Commandments hovering over your shoulder. I’m not being facetious, just honest. As someone said in a movie I saw recently, “you don’t have to talk to me about guilt, I’m Catholic.”

Those who have drifted away from Catholicism often shrug and tell you that there were simply too many rules for them to abide by, and better they should turn their back on this religion completely than live a life of hypocrisy, picking and choosing the rules that they can live with and those they can’t.

And here is where non-practising Catholics often point accusing fingers at those who claim to be devout. How can you declare yourself to be so holy (the first say to the second) when one minute you are making signs of the cross and the next you agree that we should not accept any more illegal immigrants on our shores?

On the other hand, it is also a truism that man (and woman) needs something to believe in, be it God or Buddha (or even San Gorg Preca). Most of us feel a need for a Being to turn to in times of desperation, and a Someone to praise in times of joy. Whether one finds consolation and peace in an organised religion like ours, or whether one turns to other forms of spirituality for solace and comfort, the ultimate result is the same.

It is really a case of live and let live.