Over time, Malta has become more and more secular, with people losing interest in the doctrine of the Church over time.
New Archbishop Charles Scicluna has estimated that only 40% of the general public attend Mass on a Sunday, down from about 60% 10 years ago. Attitudes have changed, and so has the power of the Church. Slowly, it is diminishing. But that does not mean that the teachings of Christ and the Church are not relevant in today’s day and age.
In a world where everything is about consumption, targets, self advancement and materialism, we often forget our true nature – that of community and support. Malta has long prided herself on society’s ability to offer help to those in need, to make sacrifices to help others and to try and live a good life. That same life that Jesus Christ preached to people 2,000-odd years ago.
Whether or not one is a believer, the teachings of Jesus Christ still resonate today. For decades it seemed that the rise of the human race was unstoppable and indefatigable. But things are changing, we are beginning to realise that we cannot keep going at the rate we are. Our lives are unsustainable. In the few hundred thousand-odd years that we have become the dominant species on the planet, we have raped, killed and destroyed. Not content with doing it to ourselves, we have also done it to our environment, possibly ruining it beyond repair for future generations.
Our greed for money has blinded our judgement. Only when we have killed the last tree and the last pasture will we realise that we cannot eat or breathe money. Years of austerity have destroyed entire communities in Greece, Portugal and Spain. People have killed themselves – yes killed themselves – because they cannot afford to repay mortgages or meet the rent. This is where we need to take stock and listen. And this is where the Church in Malta has a big role to play.
The Church was so badly shaken by the issues of divorce and gay marriage that it forgot its role in wider society. Forget about that – let people live the lives that they want to live. Instead, focus on creating more community spirit, focus on the good, peaceful and sustainable preachings Jesus and not outdated and irrelevant dogma and religious rules. Focus on the environment, focus on love for animals, focus on love for problem families, focus on love for drug addicts.
Focus on the things that really matter. Maltese society is still a tight-knit one – but the fabric it is made up of is starting to unravel. And we need to stem that tide fast. Jesus died on the cross to earn us forgiveness for our sins. The sad thing is that we keep committing them. While they might not be the same as his time, our misdeeds and misgivings affect the society that we live in. No one is perfect, but we owe it to ourselves and our children to try and rebuild Maltese society and to bring back values which were once so dear; that should be relevant to each and every person that lives on these islands, irrespective of whether they are believers or not. We take this opportunity to wish all our readers a peaceful and joyous Easter weekend.