Two of the Curia’s top officials have refrained from commenting on the “Church leadership crisis” debate but hinted that they might speak out at a later stage.

The Malta Indpendent yesteday contacted Gozo Bishop Mario Grech and Auxiliary Bishop Charles Scicluna for comment after more voices called for a “shakeup” of the Church hierarchy to help it rid itself of its leadership crisis. But both Bishops declined to comment and insisted that they have nothing to say, at least ‘at this stage.’

The debate was sparked last week when former Mgarr Parish Priest Fr Emanuel Camilleri, who was unceremoniously dismissed from his post, became the first to criticise the Church leadership in comments to The Malta Independent. Fr Camilleri claimed that Archbishop Paul Cremona and Mgr. Scicluna bowed their heads to pressure by a select few who wanted to get rid of him. A number of Mgarr residents, however, said they were happy to see him go.

In the meantime, other opinionists have spoken out on the subject. When contacted by our newsroom yesterday, University Professor Joe Friggieri opined that the Church’s second in command take over, at least temporarily. “In any large organisation, if the head is for some reason unable to lead, then the second-in-command usually takes over until things are back on track. The Church is no exception, and I think this is what should happen in this case."

On the other hand, Professor Oliver Friggieri said that, while the Church might face leadership crises just like any other organisation, its biggest challenge is conviction.

“The only pastoral plan the Church needs is conviction. It cannot rely on blind faith anymore; there should be an open discussion on faith.” Professor Friggieri said the Church is underutilising its media and educative resources, which it should use to create a debate. It should also have a stronger presence in schools and in the media.

Dr Arthur Galea Salamone, a former member of the anti-divorce movement, opined that the word “crisis” might be an overstatement. “Rather than a crisis, I’d rather refer to these as challenging times. Gone are the days when Catholics flock to Church because it is traditional or customary to do so.  Increasingly we will see Catholics practising their faith out of conviction rather than custom.  I believe that’s a positive development.

Challenging times call for effective leadership.   There are different styles of leadership however and one cannot always compare spiritual leaders to political leaders.  Spiritual leaders do not necessarily draw their moral authority from popular support or personal qualities. Pope Francis is giving us a wonderful example of humble, effective leadership.  

Undoubtedly, in Malta, the Church hierarchy, as a whole, needs to me more missionary in its approach. It needs to sensitise itself to changing realities, it needs to communicate more effectively and to outreach in a manner which will lead people to experience Christ on a more personal level.

We all make up the Church and in challenging times, besides questioning what our leaders should be doing, we should also ask what we could be doing.  We have a lot to learn from the wonderful testimonies of faith in a number of countries. As martyrs die for their faith, parishioners here are quibbling whether to accept one Kappillan over another.  We may need to get our priorities right and focus on the authentic spirit of the Gospel.”