The Church in Malta has been very much in the news over the past two months. For one thing, the appointment of a new Archbishop made the headlines on several days, as Mgr Paul Cremona OP took over the headship of the local Church from Archbishop Emeritus Joseph Mercieca, who had led the faithful for 30 years.
Mgr Cremona has been greatly welcomed by the Maltese and Gozitan population, and his charisma in the many public activities he had in the days leading to his ordination and afterwards has given the local Church a new breath of fresh air it needed.
These same weeks have also been characterised by another important event in the life of the Maltese Church – the announcement that MUSEUM founder Dun Gorg Preca will be declared a saint.
In January, it was announced that the Congregation for the Causes of Saints had approved a second miracle attributed to the priest who founded the Society for Christian Doctrine on 7 March 1907. The confirmation that Dun Gorg, as he is commonly known, will be declared a saint arrived last Friday when the consistory of cardinals called by Pope Benedict XVI gave its assent for his sanctification.
The ceremony will be held at the Vatican on 3 June, bringing to an end speculation that the Pontiff will be flying over to Malta to declare Dun Gorg a saint “on home soil”. Many had thought it would have been the right opportunity for Pope Benedict to pay a visit to Malta - very much like what his predecessor Pope John Paul II did in 2001 when Dun Gorg was beatified together with Adeodata Pisani and Nazju Falzon - especially since it was only a few weeks ago too that Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi paid an official visit to the Vatican and invited His Holiness to come over. But this is not to be, and Dun Gorg will be declared a saint in Rome.
It is most appropriate for the event to take place exactly 100 years after he founded the society that is still very much alive today. The society, known as Tal-Muzew, carries out sterling work among children not only by preparing them for the Sacraments of Holy Communion and Confirmation, but also by providing places where young people could interact and grow together.
What is perhaps strange is that Malta, which has been a Catholic country for 2,000 years – although there are historians who say that there were periods in history when the Maltese had not remained predominantly Catholic – will get its first saint at a time when the Catholic religion is not as strong as it used to be in the past.
But, as TMID had written editorially on 12 January, “the sanctification of Dun Gorg is an opportunity for the Church to work on a renewal of the faith among the people”. This is something that new Archbishop Mgr Cremona has spoken about too in his meetings with the people over the past weeks.
It is a great chance for the local Church – with a new Archbishop and the sanctification of the first Maltese – to work to reverse a negative trend that has, for example, seen a drop in Sunday Mass attendance.
Dun Gorg Preca has left his mark on Maltese society, and although this society has changed so much since his death in 1962, what he said and did is still relevant today.
Until his sanctification, Dun Gorg will be very much in the news, something that the humble priest would perhaps not have enjoyed. What is important however is that he will not be forgotten after 3 June.