Change 1 –Social Justice as a necessary outcome of prayer

One of the main changes Gina wishes to see in the Catholic Church is a higher commitment to social justice: “I think that the average Maltese Catholic is committed to prayer. They are committed to their community, and to the religious aspect of the Catholic faith.  However, in my experience, only a few relate their experience of faith with what is happening in society.  I would like to see more Maltese Catholics interested and active in issues related to social justice. I feel disappointed when I see indifference among some members in the Church, regarding this area.”

“It is understandable that people may find it hard to be concerned with what is happening around them because of personal problems or crises. However, I sense a dichotomy between finding refuge in prayer/praising God and living our faith in our daily life as members of a big family which is society. I feel that the idea of praying and praising God as the way to live one’s faith, gets too inflated sometimes.  The Christian is called both to prayer and action. Jesus gave us a call to action. He said, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations …” (Mt 28:19)  Jesus wants us to be messengers and living witnesses of his teaching. Therefore, through our lives and witnessing we are to be agents of change here on earth.”

An old heavy Church vs Pope Francis’ desire for change

Gina sighs as she says, “To me the Church comes across as heavy and outdated. It is often scorned and marginalised. The Church itself also retreats into the background sometimes. Moreover, the congregation is mostly made up of people from the older generations. This sense of heaviness triggers in me a desire to work for change in the Church.  Christ’s message is always fresh and boundless. It is relevant at all times. This instigates a desire for change which is significantly expressed by Pope Francis.”

“The Church we see projected by Pope Francis is a dynamic Church; a Church which is trying to fulfill itself. It is a Church which is inclusive and open to all, no matter whether one is married or separated, heterosexual or gay. Yet, this is not an easy endeavor. Change is resisted”, says Gina.  “After all, even Christ faced resistance whilst on earth. Pope Francis too encounters resistance even within the Church. Resistance is a significant component of human nature. The Church needs to find new challenging ways to deal with this reality.”

Resistance to changes in the Catholic Church

Gina adds, “Another thing that sometimes worries me, are the attitudes within the Church’s organisations or communities. They remind me of political parties trying to vie for my vote. Sometimes they speak against each other stating; ‘our mass is cool’.  I do not want to discredit their contribution in the Church. However, I feel that sometimes they are detached from reality. I know some of these members personally. They are good people, trustworthy, helpful and reliable when it comes to offer support. However, sometimes one can sense an attitude of arrogance or the feeling that ‘I know God better than you do’  when it comes to getting Christ’s message across. This may be due to their over-enthusiasm.”

“In my opinion, it is not enough to be a good Christian. The Christian mission does not stop within the community. The Christian social conscience goes beyond the sense of belonging that the community provides. For example,  where are these people in the abortion debate? Sometimes I ask myself, ‘Is it possible that so many things are happening around us which are destroying the moral compass of society and we feel nothing? Are we so indifferent?’ It seems that we are oblivious to it. My question is, ‘As Catholics, shouldn’t our social conscience demand much more from us than just praying?’”

Change 2 – The Church needs to respond to what people are looking for

Gina explains that being a member of the Catholic Church means that “I do not only find my place and a sense of belonging within the Church. I am called to reflect deeper upon Jesus’ teaching and the meaning which we need to give it today.  I am challenged to discover what God expects from me in the circumstances of the present day. For example, how could it be that I go to Church, attend mass and I remain unchanged? People need to feel inspired.”

Gina outlines another one of the changes in the Catholic Church that she wishes to see. “We need a Church that is not just a force-feeder. The Church clergy also needs to helps us, believers, to reflect and be open to being transformed. We need to respond to the needs of the congregation. If the homily does not inspire me, if it does not trigger something in me, then I am physically in Church but I am not psychologically present. I am not in contact with Christ’s message. This is partly the priest’s responsibility. I understand that not all priests are endowed with a good voice projection or the gift of preaching. However, they do need to ask and reflect: ‘What are the real needs of the people? How can I facilitate the encounter between Christ’s message and the congregation?’ This is what Christ did; he used to meet people’s needs.”

“Jesus knew how to encounter and make contact with the person. I wish to see the Church using more psychological resources and tools to better understand the members’ spiritual needs. Furthermore, even the skills, being used to transmit Christ’s message, need to be more relevant and applicable to today’s reality.”

Change 3 – We cannot remain passive in front of evil

Gina believes and stresses again that the teachings of the Church on social justice should be emphasised and made more accessible. She says that: “When it comes to the Church’s teachings, many a time we just refer to the Bible. What about the social teachings of the Church? How much are we made aware of them? How can we develop our social conscience and relate it to today’s circumstances, if we are not familiar with the social teachings of the Church?”

“Through my work and my experience of giving catechism sessions to parents of children who are getting ready to receive the First Holy Communion, I find that people yearn for the space to discuss such important topics. The social teachings that the Church offers us are the guidelines and inspirations which educate us to be concerned with what is happening around us. For example, when Jesus instructed us “to drive out demons”, my understanding is that we cannot remain passive in front of evil. I cannot just pray and leave it in God’s hands.”

“As citizens, we have the duty to take action when things are not going well in society,” says Gina. “We cannot remain passive. All the prophets in the Bible, and Christ himself, were concerned with the injustice going on around them. They voiced their concerns. The mission of all the prophets was to strive to build the kingdom of God in this world. However, we all know that the prophets and Christ himself paid a price for it”.

Change 4 – We need to show both the masculine and the feminine side of God

Gina reflects further:  “I think of God as he is portrayed in the famous painting of Rembrandt. Here, the artist features the Father of the prodigal son with a feminine and a masculine hand. I feel that this is what we need to do as a Church today. We need to project the experience of God in both a masculine and a feminine way.”

“Today, we mostly speak of the feminine part – a merciful, loving God. We seem to ignore the fact that God challenges us to own responsibility. He expects us to work hand in hand with him”, Gina says.  “For a time the Church has emphasised the fear of a punishing God. Perhaps now we are emphasising the sweetness of baby Jesus. However, we need to strike a balance. We need to come out of our comfort zone as Christians. This is clearly depicted in Rembrandt’s painting – The Return of the Prodigal Son – where we see God who is both understanding and supportive. Yet, at the same time, we see a firm and demanding God.”

Gina adds: “Psychologically we are created in the image of God; that is we have these two parts within us that is our nurturing and supportive side but we also have a part which makes us responsible for our own lives and that of others.”

Change 5 – Trusting in God does includes taking responsibility for my own actions

Gina argues that we cannot only trust in God, We also have to do our part. “I get irritated when I see quotes on social media channels saying, ‘Pray, pray, pray.’ ‘Leave it in God’s hands.’ ‘Trust in God’. We are God’s co-creators. We are co-workers in his Creation. God invited us to participate, improve and recreate the world around us. He gave us the strength and the resources to bring about change.

“I feel that the Maltese Catholic is over-dependent on God. We cannot just say ‘Pray’ and ‘Trust in God’ without asking: ‘What does God want from me in this particular situation?’ I cannot go out with a married man and then say, ‘If it’s not God’s will, this relationship will not continue.’ This is shifting the responsibility onto God. Evil reigns in society, not because it is God’s will.  Very often it is a result of indifference; from being passive and closing our eyes to what is destructive and sinful.”

Change 6 – Staying updated with the Church’s teachings

On the other hand, Gina laments the fact that some Church members are not in touch with the Church’s guidelines. “I heard a person from a religious organization say that in marriage you should be submissive and accept everything as this is God’s will for you, even if it is abusive. I was astonished! How could this be? Is this what God wants? If this is what we’re teaching, no wonder people are leaving the Church. This is not what the Church teaches with respect to domestic violence; Pope Francis in The Joy of Love states clearly that “in cases where a spouse and children are experiencing violence and abuse, separation becomes inevitable and even morally necessary for their safety”. We do not need to go that far to be able to love – allowing a person to abuse me is not loving”.

Gina stresses that today’s Catholics, not just those in authority, need to be a voice among the many others. “I believe that in this secular/post-secular world, today’s Christians need to make themselves heard and seen in the public space, especially in the face of evil. We can’t stay in our own cozy corner. Our presence needs to be felt. Jesus told us to ‘pray in our room’ but also to ‘let our light shine.’”

Changes in the Church in response to Prayer and to Reading the Signs of the Times

Gina concludes, “I am aware that maybe I am carried away by all that is happening around us. I’m going through a stage in my life where I am very much concerned about what is happening in Malta with regards to the rapid political societal changes that we are experiencing. Maybe this predisposes me to interpret the Church’s reality the way I do. I am sure that there are other changes in the Catholic Church that one could focus on. I need to pray and reflect more about what is happening within me and around me. Yet, one significant thing is clear. I do not doubt that the Church needs to be in touch with the signs of the times so that the necessary changes will follow. Only in that way can it be the living body of Christ.”

Read more:
– Pope Benedict 16th on the Future of the Church
– What Are the Themes in Catholic Social Justice Teachings

The post Changes in the Catholic Church – The Context of Malta appeared first on Universe of Faith.

Here are two taunts from a song sung by fanatics of St Sebastian Qormi parish to the fanatics of St George Qormi parish:

Eċċezzjonali, sirna arċipretali ;
(We are exceptional, we’ve become a church with an archpriest)
and
“Bażilika, bażilika, bażilika, dan it-titlu żgur ma teħduh qatt.
(You will never become a basilica)

I very much doubt that St George and St Sebastian are impressed by these antics.

Rivalry makes us infantile

In contrast, here is what Paul writes in the First Letter to the Corinthians (1Cor. 3:1-9):

“Brothers, I could not talk to you as spiritual people, but as fleshly people, as infants in Christ. I fed you milk, not solid food, because you were unable to take it. Indeed, you are still not able, even now, for you are still of the flesh. While there is jealousy and rivalry among you, are you not of the flesh, and behaving in an ordinary human way? Whenever someone says, “I belong to Paul,” and another, “I belong to Apollos,” are you not merely human? What is Apollos, after all, and what is Paul? Ministers through whom you became believers, just as the Lord assigned each one. I planted, Apollos watered, but God caused the growth. Therefore, neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who causes the growth. The one who plants and the one who waters are equal, and each will receive wages in proportion to his labour. For we are God’s co-workers; you are God’s field, God’s building.

Simply put, it can be said that insofar as the bestowment of new titles leads the parish and the parishioners closer to God, it is good. However, if the new titles lead to rivalries and infighting, they are not so good.

Granting too many titles would render these titles meaningless

From a purely practical point of view, if we continue to grant new titles to churches at around the present rate, we will soon end up with a country full of collegiate churches and basilicas. This would render those distinctions meaningless.

Lest I be misinterpreted, I would like to put on record that I am a history enthusiast and stand in awe of the fact that most of our churches are artistic and architectural masterpieces. Various towns and villages boast churches with impressive artwork and architectural features which make them not only magnificent houses of God, but also invaluable cultural and architectural heritage worthy of protection by the state.

Some people seems to care more about titles than works of mercy

However, I cannot help thinking that when we die, God will not ask us how many churches we helped elevate to the rank of minor basilica. He is more likely to ask us how many of the works of mercy we carried out, whether we availed ourselves frequently of the sacrament of Reconciliation and whether we received the Eucharist worthily.

I cannot but express bewilderment at the sheer amount of people who seem to care nothing for the teachings of the Catholic Church but seem to care very deeply about their parish becoming a collegiate church or a basilica or about having an archpriest instead of a parish priest.

Some days ago, the Gospel reading of the day (Luke 10:38-42) instructed us in choosing our priorities properly:

As they continued their journey he entered a village where a woman whose name was Martha welcomed him. She had a sister named Mary (who) sat beside the Lord at his feet listening to him speak. Martha, burdened with much serving, came to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me by myself to do the serving? Tell her to help me.” The Lord said to her in reply, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things. There is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part and it will not be taken from her.”

For the Christian, titles should not be a priority

I am, of course, aware that the Church in Malta is more present in public than ever before. Through the archbishop and through its many arms, the Church is putting the Gospel into practice. However, although the structure of the Church is wonderfully active in recognising each and every human being as being created in the image of God, many of its component members, myself included, routinely fail to live up to our baptismal promises and the promises made during the sacrament of Confirmation.

One such failure is when ordinary, baptised Catholics seem to prioritise having a basilica or a collegiate church for a parish church. Although such titles are not bad things in themselves, they are not the Christian’s priority. The Christian’s priority is to love God and to love others, each through his own calling.

Let’s treat ourselves and each other as temples of the Holy Spirit

Let us all first get the basics of Christian life right. Let us become familiar with the Bible. Let us know the teachings of the Church. Let us attend Mass daily, especially as we have the immense luxury of four, five or six daily Masses in each parish church and in several chapels. Let us pester our priests to be more available for Confession. Let us get involved in parish ministries. Let us put ourselves at the parish priest’s disposition in lending a helping hand. Let us truly imitate the saintliness of the town’s patron saint. Above all, let us do all this under the guidance of the Holy Spirit and hand-in-hand with Our Lady.

When we do all this, we start to respect ourselves in our truest calling , that of being a temple of the Holy Spirit. When we treat ourselves and each other as temples of the Holy Spirit, then we can perhaps proceed to have more basilicas and collegiate churches.

Read more:
– Pope Benedict The 16th On the Future Of The Church
– Top Pope Francis’ Quotes About the Church

The post What Makes a Catholic Church a True Basilica appeared first on Universe of Faith.

My life was a blur of parties, sex and drugs

I was a huge rebel and I partied all my life.
At the time, I did not believe in a God who had made all these rules to abide to. I did not believe in a God who forbade all the pleasures of life. Why on earth would one believe in a God who punishes us with the wraths of hell, and curses us mortals with the woes of death? So I stopped believing in all the religious teachings that I had been taught in my childhood. When I was 15 years old I chose freedom.

The years that followed were a blur of parties, sex and drugs. I chased all the moments that led to the immediate gratification of the senses. These ventures, like the sparklers in a birthday party, blinded my sight with all the pretty white lights flickering until they ran out. Then huge darkness would fall in the room which was my life until I fumbled for another sparkler and set it alight again.

“My life took a new route when I met a true friend at a heavy metal concert”

At 21 I found myself cornered in one of those dark places which my choices often led me to. I was alone, with no friends to turn to, and I was shattered. The worst moments were in the weekends. Unsolicited solitude turned into dreaded loneliness which sank in the pit of my stomach, until it drained me from the capacity to feel whole in my own company.

One evening, during a concert, a friend introduced me to a young woman. We hit it off and consequently decided to meet again. There was something really special in this young woman. She was happy most of the time and her optimism was contagious. Moreover, she seemed to be capable of loving others unconditionally. She never spoke badly of others. What’s more, she always had something amazing to say about other people.

“I tried Kabbalah and Buddhism and was not keen to try a Catholic spiritual retreat”

One day, this new friend asked me whether I wanted to join her for a Catholic spiritual retreat over the weekend. At first, I was hesitant since I had no interest at all in getting back to the Catholic Church. I had tried other spiritual teachings such as Kabbalah and Buddhism. However, I was very lonely. So I was torn between spending another weekend on my own, feeling desolated, or getting to spend more time with my new best friend. The retreat was being held at a high class hotel. So I thought that I would join her and take some alcohol along with me to enjoy myself.  My friend suggested that I take only wine and no white spirits. I never opened the bottle of wine.

I was 24 years old at the time of this retreat. When I arrived at the hotel I was quite surprised to be welcomed by the people there since my appearance and way of dress was strikingly different from theirs. My hairstyle, clothes, tattoos and piercings were out of place in this community. These people were not my type and I felt like I was in the wrong place. On the first day of the retreat, I felt like screaming and running away when the people started praying and I heard the same old ‘bla bla’ which was familiar from my childhood. I told my friend how I felt.  At least, then we spent the night eating and having fun.

Opening myself to feel/receive God’s love

On the second day, I attended a talk which got my attention. A man recounted how he used to dress up as a woman and lived on drugs. He then spoke about the life that he was leading now.  After the talk we were told to spend some time in prayer in a chapel. I just stared at the cross and said to God “Hi man, I don’t have anything to say to you, I’m sorry but I don’t even know how to pray.”

After this time of prayer, we went to a hall and they started playing and singing songs. It was not my type of music; I still listen to metal and electronic music to this day. The person leading the meeting led us to pray the Holy Father together. He also invited us to open our hands as a gesture of letting God into our life. Everyone was praying fervently with their hands opened upwards as he had instructed. I thought, “hey, what the hell, I will just give this a try, and act like the others are doing.” I thought, “there’s no harm in that.  Anyway, no one is taking notice of me.” Then I had the biggest moment in my life.

“For a few moments I felt the love of God”

As soon as I started to open my palms I felt this huge pounding of unconditional love scorching every cell within my body. I remember that I was wearing a hoodie full of skeletons and my hair was dyed bright red. My body couldn’t move on the chair and tears of joy were flowing down my cheeks. I was literally paralysed and had goosebumps all over my body. Wisdom enlightened my perceptions to a point where for a very few seconds, I understood everything – myself, the meaning of life, the meaning of death, the reason for all my pain. My soul acknowledged the true blessed existence of God. God, a throbbing energy of love, compassion, peace and wisdom.

It was the sweetest moment of my life where my soul savoured in its glory. That moment changed my life. And as I was struck by this moment, in the background I heard the leader (started praying for a person amongst us) saying that there was a person who had no faith in God. He was praying for that person to open her/his heart for Him and to trust. That is what I did.

My journey to discover God still goes on. I never ever look back at my life in the same way again.

At first I was afraid God will take away my identity

No drugs, sex, or relationship ever came close to what I felt at that moment. I slowly started to change. It was not an instant conversion. I still tried to resist God as I was afraid that I would go back to the life before I was 15 years old. At that time I had felt like a nerd, was bullied, and did not listen to cool music. But I was wrong. God filled my life with beautiful people and experiences. I started to pray and I started building my relationship with Jesus. Moreover, I also attended some more retreats.

Jesus is the man I love most in my life. He fills me with unconditional love. When I am close to Him I feel that l can see more the goodness in every person; I can love people better. When I start to miss out on prayer and time for Him, I start losing this. I also lose my peace. My life did not become full of flowers after this moment- not at all. Yet God gives me peace, even when life is not good.

“God became my hope and freedom”

I am now 33 years old. When I was younger I used to think that freedom was about living the way I wanted; doing whatever I felt like doing, having no one controlling me, no rules. But now I find freedom and hope in God. I wish to tell the young ones ‘Do not be shy to look for God’. However, the best advice is gained through their own experience of God. I’m not the one to preach!

Podcast by Uyen Vu

Back to the Catholic Church
Read more:
– Top Pope Francis’ Quotes About The Church
– Pope Benedict 16th On The Future Of The Church

The post Loved and Welcomed Back to the Catholic Church appeared first on Universe of Faith.

The future of the Church after crisis: smaller, more spiritual, man’s home

Below are Pope Benedict’s remarks on the future of the Catholic Church broadcasted on a 1969 German radio program and recorded in the book Joseph Ratzinger, Faith and the Future, Ignatius Press, 2009:

“The future of the Church can and will issue from those whose roots are deep and who live from the pure fullness of their faith. It will not issue from those who accommodate themselves merely to the passing moment or from those who merely criticize others and assume that they themselves are infallible measuring rods; nor will it issue from those who take the easier road, who sidestep the passion of faith, declaring false and obsolete, tyrannous and legalistic, all that makes demands upon men, that hurts them and compels them to sacrifice themselves. To put this more positively: The future of the Church, once again as always, will be reshaped by saints, by men, that is, whose minds probe deeper than the slogans of the day, who see more than others see, because their lives embrace a wider reality. Unselfishness, which makes men free, is attained only through the patience of small daily acts of self-denial. By this daily passion, which alone reveals to a man in how many ways he is enslaved by his own ego, by this daily passion and by it alone, a man’s eyes are slowly opened. He sees only to the extent that he has lived and suffered. If today we are scarcely able any longer to become aware of God, that is because we find it so easy to evade ourselves, to flee from the depths of our being by means of the narcotic of some pleasure or other. Thus our own interior depths remain closed to us. If it is true that a man can see only with his heart, then how blind we are!

“They will discover the little flock of believers as something wholly new. They will discover it as a hope that is meant for them, an answer for which they have always been searching in secret.”

“How does all this affect the problem we are examining? It means that the big talk of those who prophesy a Church without God and without faith is all empty chatter. We have no need of a Church that celebrates the cult of action in political prayers. It is utterly superfluous. Therefore, it will destroy itself. What will remain is the Church of Jesus Christ, the Church that believes in the God who has become man and promises us life beyond death. The kind of priest who is no more than a social worker can be replaced by the psychotherapist and other specialists; but the priest who is no specialist, who does not stand on the [sidelines], watching the game, giving official advice, but in the name of God places himself at the disposal of man, who is beside them in their sorrows, in their joys, in their hope and in their fear, such a priest will certainly be needed in the future.

“Let us go a step farther. From the crisis of today the Church of tomorrow will emerge , a Church that has lost much. She will become small and will have to start afresh more or less from the beginning. She will no longer be able to inhabit many of the edifices she built in prosperity. As the number of her adherents diminishes, so it will lose many of her social privileges. In contrast to an earlier age, it will be seen much more as a voluntary society, entered only by free decision. As a small society, it will make much bigger demands on the initiative of her individual members. Undoubtedly it will discover new forms of ministry and will ordain to the priesthood approved Christians who pursue some profession. In many smaller congregations or in self-contained social groups, pastoral care will normally be provided in this fashion. Along-side this, the full-time ministry of the priesthood will be indispensable as formerly. But in all of the changes at which one might guess, the Church will find her essence afresh and with full conviction in that which was always at her center: faith in the triune God, in Jesus Christ, the Son of God made man, in the presence of the Spirit until the end of the world. In faith and prayer she will again recognize the sacraments as the worship of God and not as a subject for liturgical scholarship.

“The Church will be a more spiritual Church, not presuming upon a political mandate, flirting as little with the Left as with the Right. It will be hard going for the Church, for the process of crystallization and clarification will cost her much valuable energy. It will make her poor and cause her to become the Church of the meek. The process will be all the more arduous, for sectarian narrow-mindedness as well as pompous self-will will have to be shed. One may predict that all of this will take time. The process will be long and wearisome as was the road from the false progressivism on the eve of the French Revolution , when a bishop might be thought smart if he made fun of dogmas and even insinuated that the existence of God was by no means certain , to the renewal of the nineteenth century. But when the trial of this sifting is past, a great power will flow from a more spiritualised and simplified Church. Men in a totally planned world will find themselves unspeakably lonely. If they have completely lost sight of God, they will feel the whole horror of their poverty. Then they will discover the little flock of believers as something wholly new. They will discover it as a hope that is meant for them, an answer for which they have always been searching in secret.

“And so it seems certain to me that the Church is facing very hard times. The real crisis has scarcely begun. We will have to count on terrific upheavals. But I am equally certain about what will remain at the end: not the Church of the political cult, which is dead already, but the Church of faith. It may well no longer be the dominant social power to the extent that she was until recently; but it will enjoy a fresh blossoming and be seen as man’s home, where he will find life and hope beyond death.

The Catholic Church will survive in spite of men and women, not necessarily because of them. And yet, we still have our part to do. We must pray for and cultivate unselfishness, self-denial, faithfulness, Sacramental devotion and a life centered on Christ.

The post Pope Benedict 16th on the Future of the Church appeared first on Universe of Faith.

At this time, when much has been spoken and written about the crimes that prominent priests have either committed or helped to cover up, two things come to mind. The first is the Lord’s command to St. Francis of Assisi to rebuild the Church and the second is the motto attributed to Pope St. Pius X , restoring all things in Christ. There can be no denying that a great deal of restoration and rebuilding needs to be undertaken. The perspective I wish to take up is that of a sinful, ordinary Catholic, but one who tries his best to keep his eyes and ears open , out of love for my home, the Church.

Putting everyone under suspicion

Perhaps the point of departure should be to observe that although the recent revelations are not pleasant reading, it remains absolutely true that the vast majority of priests and bishops are not guilty of any abuse or of any cover-ups. In fact, the innocent priests and bishops are angry, disgusted and disappointed that some of their brother priests and bishops not only broke their vows and inflicted terrible harm upon others, but also tarnished the reputation of other priests, bishops and of the Catholic Church in general. It is tempting and to a certain extent, almost instinctual for laypeople to start suspecting each and every priest of committing misdeeds. However, that is one particular temptation which the devil may use to lure us away from our Mother, the Church. Like all temptations, this is something we must resist.

Some crimes resemble power situations outside the Church like manager-secretary

The crimes that have been committed justify the sense of shock that has been expressed. Although the sexual element is a key aspect of these crimes, one should not overlook the abuse of power that has taken place. Hierarchically, bishops outrank priests and certainly outrank seminarians. The cases that have come to light showed not only priests violating men and women outside the formal structures of the Church, but also people within those structures, such as seminarians and other priests. There are cases which bear striking similarity to situations outside the Church, such as in ordinary employment, where there have been cases of powerful managers and CEOs forcing themselves on subordinates. Most subordinates, fearing for their careers, either remain silent, or leave, or many a time, remain within the same organisation for fear of reprisal or character assassination. The same happened to seminarians, who following episodes of sexual abuse, remained silent knowing that if they spoke up, they could incur the wrath of their bishop , without whose blessing they could never be ordained priests. There were even cases of priests who suffered such abuse and ended up inflicting similar abuse on other people. Most of the cases which formed the subject of recent revelations took place in the United States. However, such cases were not unique to that country.

Both Catholics and non-believers still have high expectations of the Church

The recent revelations may well seem overwhelming and a threat to the very existence of the Church. Although it is certainly not pleasant to deal with the fallout, we need to see the positive in this. The positive in all of this is that all those who are outraged, whether Catholic or otherwise, whether practising or otherwise, still have high expectations of the Church. People who have for years and for decades criticised and derided the Church are as angry and outraged as faithful Catholics. This means that the Church is certainly not irrelevant, even to non-believers. Whilst these people may not know the theological reasons behind the wearing of cassocks, mitres and crosiers (which to them may look like silly dresses and silly hats), they are holding the Church’s feet to the fire. In my view, this is a positive. Through the example and preaching of faithful priests, bishops and laypeople, non-believers are evangelised. The critics of the Church have rightly come to expect standards of behaviour which match the standards expressed in the preaching and in the precepts of the Church. Through their calling our attention to shortcomings in the Church, these people show us that in society, the Church is still relevant, still influential and still looked to for moral leadership and authority. It is therefore up to all of us who profess the Catholic faith , whether as laity or consecrated people , to render witness to the world.

Truth must emerge, it will “set us free”

Another painful problem that has gripped the Church is the barrage of accusations levelled by priests against other priests and by bishops against other bishops. Without in any way wanting to judge who has or has not been truthful, it is quite obvious that the high-level sniping that is taking place is very damaging to the Church. In commenting so, I am not trying to “protect the Church by encouraging the perpetuation of a culture of silence. All the accusations and claims that have been made must be investigated by independent and impartial individuals. The truth must emerge and not be buried. As Jesus himself told us , the truth will set us free. If need be, heads must roll.

Non-religious observers may portray all that has been happening as some phenomenon of purely human origin. As Catholics, we know that the human propensity to sin is encouraged by the devil, who as Pope Francis constantly reminds us, is very real and very active. When in his day, people used to ask St John Bosco why he never went on vacation, the saintly priest answered that he would only go on holiday if and when the devil decided to take a break from tempting souls. The crimes that have taken place have the devil’s fingerprints all over them.

So what is to be done?

Much can and must be learned from the past. However, the past cannot be allowed to define the Church. The Church is only defined by Jesus. In a sense, the Church cannot be held hostage by the past, no matter how hideous the errors that have been committed.

The need for an administrative reform

By profession, I am a lawyer. Therefore, my mind instinctually recommends administrative reform and the creation of new structures in the interests of better administration. Although administrative reform is necessary, the creation of a couple of committees will not magically restore and rebuild the Church. At the heart of all this, we must remember that the Church is Christocentric and is not some ordinary NGO or charitable organisation.

The need for prayer

In apparitions in Akita in 1973, the Blessed Mother foretold that there would come a time when the devil would provoke open warfare in the sense that bishops would be pitted against other bishops and cardinals against cardinals. She also foretold that many priests and religious would be pressed to leave the service of the Lord. The remedy recommended by Our Lady, was, as always, the devout recitation of the Holy Rosary. As Catholics, we believe that the Holy Spirit is ever active in the Church and thus, remedies are born primarily of faithful prayer and only secondarily out of human effort. Our Lady’s exhortations guard against the heresy of Pelagianism , which is when one thinks that everything is possible solely through personal effort and willpower.

The need for new saints

Very recently, Pope Francis renewed the universal call to holiness through his encyclical Rejoice and Be Glad. He reminded us that holiness is for everyone, not just for priests and nuns. In several public appearances, Pope Francis emphasised time and time again that the Church needs young people who actively embrace the call to holiness , in other words, new saints. Holiness is not attained by snapping one’s fingers. It is a very gradual process which may involve the excision of parts of our lives which are not pleasing to Jesus. Like many medicines which have the ultimate effect of curing illness, the road to holiness may therefore be painful. The Church, as a whole as well as through its components, needs to take up the process of purification which has been painful and will continue to be painful. Genuine conversion is hardly ever painless.

Christ is active even in confusion

As Catholics, we need to recommit ourselves to Christ , and I address this comment first and foremost to myself. The journey towards the liberating truth does not need as much analysis as it needs prayer. The Holy Spirit, who is the life of the Church, must be invoked and invited into all structures at all levels. It may well seem that at the moment, the boat is being rocked by massive storms which threaten to engulf it and Jesus is asleep. We are tempted to turn to Jesus and tell Him that were He awake and paying attention, this would not have happened. However, as always, Christ is very much active, even amidst this confusion. God is purifying His Church and separating the chaff from the wheat.

Sometime before all of this broke out, the Church celebrated the Queenship of Mary. This is not some sentimental feast. Mary the Queen and Christ the King go hand in hand as warrior figures in spiritual warfare. It is therefore up to faithful Catholics to enlist in Christ’s army and fight , through prayer, abstinence and fasting. It is our job to co-operate with Christ in the exercise of restoration and rebuilding.

Healing the wounds of the victims and of the Church

We believe that Christ is the Truth (with a capital “T ). He is not some ordinary human opinion or point of view. Since He is the truth, He certainly does not want us to bury the reality of the crimes which have taken place. Through careful, prudent and prayerful investigation led by laypeople experienced in forensics, all the claims made must be investigated and the entirety of the truth must be revealed. The purpose of investigation is not to enable the righteous or the innocent to mount some sort of vendetta, but to heal the victims and the Church. As any doctor will tell us, it is necessary to measure the depth of a wound and clean it properly before applying the necessary ointments and bandages. If a wound is not cleaned to its full depth, the patient cannot be restored to health.

The Church will never be abandoned

Jesus promised that he would never abandon His Church and that the gates of hell would not prevail against it. The Church has thrived in persecution and has outlasted many governments and empires that tried hard to extinguish it. Those governments and empires are long gone whilst the Church is still alive. Jesus is asking all of us, myself included, whether we trust Him. With His help, I do.

Read more:
– Pope Benedict The 16th On the Future Of The Church
– Top Pope Francis’ Quotes About the Church

The post Restoring and Rebuilding the Church appeared first on Universe of Faith.

This is an interview with Fr Jonathan Farrugia a festa lover, who has experienced the organisation of a number of festas in various parishes around Malta and Jesuit Fr Paul Chetcuti. The Jesuits in Malta do not have any parishes and therefore are quite outsiders when it comes to festas organisation. This is what they shared…

The origins of the Malta village festa

Fr Jonathan explained how the origins of festas in Malta date back to the times of Bishop de Mello according to the document “Rollo de Mello of 1463 and were created as a form of popular religious piety towards Saints: “There were already a number of parishes with their patron Saints and some form of celebration was held, probably a mass and liturgical vespers (għasar). When the Knights arrived they brought with them traditions of external celebrations. It was after this time and during the English period that we see the beginning of various philarmonic societies and band clubs.

Do band clubs fall within the responsibilty of the Church?

“Not every parish is the same. In some parishes the Church organises both the internal and external festa such as Senglea parish. In this case the Church commissions the band club and the band club has to follow orders given by the parish priest. In other cases, which is in most cases, the band club is completely autonomous so the external festa completely depends on them; yet there are guidelines issued by the Church which have to be followed mostly concerning appropriate behaviour. Many a time this is the case, the band club is autonomous and responsible for all the expenses. So there is autonomy and independence yet there are guidelines to be followed. There is no such thing such as a Church band club. Also, if the parish priest decides that he does not want this band club and wants another, he can do this in the localities were the parish priest is responsibile for all celebrations and has to pay even for the external festivities. Fr Jonathan explained.

Cherishing the true festa spirit

Fr Paul appreciates the good side of our festas and feels the need for this to be safeguarded: “There are many positive elements – the strong social experience, especially in a religious context; gathering people and connecting them to their roots especially those who have moved out of the parish and visit it yearly during festa time, families visiting each other, acknowledging and glorifying the good life of the saint. These are things which I like.

He continued to explain that the meaning of the festa is forgotten if the external celebration becomes a street party and does not reflect the core reason for our joy: “It is like going to Paceville, every Saturday everyone is doing a festa and to celebrate our friendship whilst drinking a can of beer. But if that can of beer becomes a box of beer then it is not our friendship which is important any more but the beer.

When asked what he thinks about the amounts of money spent in festas and if they could be used in other fruitful ways he said: “The amount spent should be proportionate to what the people are really benefiting. If the experience is joy, celebrating our togetherness around what unites us, the patron saint, the festa, then yes it can be positive. This is like when you go to a wedding. If the couple spends a reasonable amount to celebrate the importance of their occasion, their marriage, then it is worth-it. But if the celebration is inflated and takes a life of its own, independently or at the expense of the reality it ought to celebrate, then any expense is more of a waste than anything else. The same applies for the parish festa.

“My concern is not the money mostly but the time and energy we are using, not of the parish priest only, but of the people. I am all out for volunteering, but if working a whole year on fireworks, decorating banners etc means that time is robbed spending time with my own family, if we are so keen on fireworks but not so much on our faith, on our band club but not so much on prayer, etc, then I will feel concerned and worried. These are the things which we need to work on as a Church. Fr Paul explained.

Does the Church measure the spiritual fruits of the festa?

Fr Jonathan believes that it is difficult for the Church to measure this outcome. “I don’t think it is possible. During the festa week the number of people in Churches always increases, though this is not necessarily an indication of an increase in faith.

“However, I have had a very positive experience some years ago in Ħ’Attard parish as a deacon. This parish has a highly organised internal festa. The parish priest had a very good team. As most people where not originally from the locality, these people were reached out to especially the new arrivals. Those who celebrated an anniversary were not expected to approach the parish themselves but were given an invitation to come and celebrate in a mass organised for them, the children’s mass was organised hand in hand with the centres of catechism to gather again as much children as possible and get their parents. The elderly, were invited to Church and the sacrament of anointing of the sick was celebrated, but the sick ones, something which I have only seen in this parish, were visited in their homes and this sacrament was celebrated in their very own home. So the festa was truly an experience of connection with the people.

Can the festa be a celebration of faith?

Fr Paul: “Yes. We speak of celebration. Every mass should be a celebration of the joy we share between us. And yet, most masses are not a celebration but just a ceremony. Most processions become just a scheduled ceremony, there is no joy in them. This is not about reforming festas, but we need to ask ‘how can we bring more life in our festas?’ It’s not about how much we are going to impress with outward decorations but how much we are going to increase our sense of belonging and solidarity among us, especially towards the weak and the needy among us. If we truly care about our children all year round, then it would indeed be more meaningful to celebrate with our children during the children’s festa mass. On the other hand, if we do not speak to each other all year round how can we meet in the village square to drink beer together during the festa week?

He continued that we can’t be purists: “Of course, we are weak and imperfect. Whatever we do is tainted by mixed motives. It’s like when you wear a suit. You wear it to look smart but also to project a good image of yourself. But it’s one thing to want to look good to celebrate the occasion and another wanting to show off and outdo your adversaries in pomp and performance. These tendencies are part of our human nature, but we need to be courageous, wise and patient to avoid extremes. Extremism won’t lead us anywhere. Besides, we cannot risk losing the real value of our festas allowing tourism and business, pique or sheer fanaticism to take them over.

Do festas give a sort of identity to the village?

Fr Jonathan said that new parishes sometimes feel the need for a new festa as this gives a sort of identity. Fr Paul cleared this point by saying that: “Identity does not come from the festa. The festa enhances the identity. Our identity comes from the solidarity we have in the hearts of each other. We are Maltese not because we have a flag but because we live together as brothers and sisters with a common heritage. We need to be careful that our traditions do not freeze the needs of today’s people. Having a panegyrcs, antiphons and music which no one identifies with (except a few who were exposed to that type of music) or understands, does not make any sense at all. We lose the connection between what we are celebrating and our life. We need to bring solidarity in our daily life to be able to celebrate the festa.

If you were Archbishop what would you change in the festa?

Fr Jonathan: “I do not have such an ambition, but firstly I would make it clear to parish priests that they should not tolerate pressure in any form from non-religious organisations involved in the festas be it fireworks companies, band clubs etc. I have experienced this in a particular parish where for many years the parish priest was treated as a guest in the festa rather than the organiser so much so that the band clubs sent him a letter to thank him for his participation in the festa. Of course, he felt frustrated as he felt he should be the one to send such a letter. The Curia also, should appear as being hand in hand with the local parish priests. Secondly, we need to question what we are doing: are any of our activities not well attended? Are there areas in which we are spending too much especially where there are more than one festa? Revision needs to be done regularly.

Fr Paul: “I would insist that in the Church celebrations we should seek first what is spiritually and humanly meaningful for today’s generation and culture. Thus whether it’s music, prayers or even the words we use in our liturgies, be such that people can understand and identify with. Just repeating blindly and routinely the time-honoured traditional expressions is simply not going to save anything of what a village festa is really all about.

Are new zones and parishes allowed to have external festas?

We took a comment from Fr Joseph Galea Curmi, auxiliary bishop who told us that “every case has to be studied on its own merit. There are no prohibitions to have an external festa but one has to see what is the best type of celebration for that particular community. We surely need to learn from what is happening today in external celebrations in parishes.”

Published: September 2017
Updated: September 2018

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The post The Malta Village Festa – It’s Pros and Cons appeared first on Universe of Faith.

8 Tips On How Local Churches Can Live In A Spirit Of Poverty

1. Check The Consumption Of Your Parish Or Convent

In addition to donating money, another way of curbing greed is to curb consumption.

2. Share What You Have With Others

An important principle in the Rule of St Augustine is to “Call nothing your own, but let everything be yours in common . This is similar to the community of Acts, in which we are called to be wise stewards of our time, treasure and talents , both material and spiritual goods.

At this point, it is worth emphasising that we ought to be wise stewards of all our material and spiritual goods. Freed from the burden of possessiveness, we are encouraged to abandon all self-seeking in order to find joy in sharing with others God’s manifold gifts. The community (Church) can gather and save goods from and for the common and use this storehouse to share whatever is necessary with those in need. This is a way of life that embraces stewardship, by returning a share of what we have and focusing our mission on the genuine concern for those who are in need.

3. Invest Your Money Ethically

Invest ethically and review the investments one has. Divest from coal, oil, and gas investments to respond to the moral imperative of the climate change crisis. Divest from other investments that are giving mixed messages in today’s situation.

4. Check What Message Is Your Convent/Parish Delivering

We need to be increasingly aware of our decisions and the messages that such decisions deliver in this respect. Our excessive focus on certain aspects leads to the alienation of other aspects which are equally important as a result.

5. Welcome A Family Of Refugees In Your Convent Or Parish

Helping just one family might be seen as a small, insignificant initiative. However, whilst our act of kindness surely did not solve all troubles, what truly matters is that we offered the best that we could offer under the circumstances and given the resources that we have available.

One would hope that by doing so, we will also inspire others to give their share in the world irrespective of how big or small their contribution is. We also hope that our symbolic initiative makes others realise that small acts of kindness from everyone could collectively bring about big changes in the world. It is through such small initiatives that one earns the chance to bring the change s/he wants to see in this world and tries to achieve it a little at a time. For those who are not in need, the initiative may seem futile but for the family that was welcomed, the initiative was a life-changing experience, because it brought them new hope. It will hopefully also make them realise how kind God is being to them through the help that is offered to them in response to God’s plea , that is to love thy neighbour as thy self.

6. Build Your Projects Wisely

We need to reflect more on the argument that is put forth quite often: “as long as people donate money, we will do the project . Is the project really necessary? Where are the money coming from? Are they coming from legal sources? What are the intentions?

7. Know When To Alleviate With Money and/or With Presence

Another aspect is to donate money to worthy causes and alleviate spiritual or material poverty on a regular basis. At the same time, it is necessary to exercise practical wisdom, with an awareness of the other responsibilities. However, monetary donations may not always be sufficient. There are times and situations in which those in need require our time, space and energy to alleviate their pain or discomfort and bring them out of their miserable situation. Such help can prove to be much more effective than giving money at times.

8. “Give To Caesar What Is Caesar’s”

As we live in a society we also pay our dues. Therefore, are we asking for VAT receipts?

Read more:
– What Is The Role Of Money In My Life?
– The Poor Boy Who Became A Successful Entrepreneur And A Happy Husband

The post What Every Church Should Do About Poverty appeared first on Universe of Faith.

Bad examples from Church people “robbed my peace”

I empathise with you as I felt the same way years ago. I was criticised and laughed at by my colleagues and friends when I said that I’m a Catholic. They would bombard me with the bad examples given by church goers and priests alike.  This attitude robbed me of all peace making me feel very disturbed.  During this time my life as a Catholic was more based on morality, and sometimes I struggled hard to live up to good moral standards prescribed by the church and the gospel, not to say that there were times when I failed.

From correctness to a entering a loving relationship with God

However, my faith took a turning point when I attended a talk by a Catholic speaker who said that our Catholic Faith is first and foremost a loving personal relationship with a merciful God.  He insisted on the importance of daily prayer and explained that prayer is not just asking things from God but an opening of our heart to Him to allow Him to reveal Himself to us and to be the Lord of our lives.  He explained that one way of doing this is by meditating the Scriptures.  Scripture is the living word of God through which God speaks to us individually (also as a church but individually as well) in our particular circumstances.  The God of Jesus Christ, besides being the head of the Catholic Church, is also a personal God who desires to reveal Himself to us individually. This talk had a great impact on me and so I decided to spend time in daily prayer.  At the beginning this was quite a struggle but as I persevered I started to look forward to my prayer time.  The reason is that what I had learnt about God in my past now became an experience. It was like having a best friend, the more you spend time together the more you get to know him/her.  The result is that the more you spend time with God, and meditate on His word, the more He starts to transform you and create you afresh in His own image and likeness.  So your mentality, the way you speak and react, your attitudes in general will be more in tune with those of Jesus.  You will become more Christ-like and besides personal prayer, participating in the sacraments, especially the Eucharist, will give you the grace to be a witness of the faith that you proclaim.

“Your indignation for the wrongdoing will remain, but your merciful love for the wrongdoer will grow”

In this way you will start to have peace and be at ease in the Catholic Church as your heart starts being transformed in the Heart of Christ  which is an overflowing well of unconditional love and mercy.  Those who walk closely to Him will experience this love and mercy for their fellowmen, no matter what scandals the latter perform within the church.  Not only so but the greater the sinner, the greater the scandals he performs, the greater will your love and mercy for him be.  The more will you beg Our Lord to save him, the more you will try, if it is in your power, to do good to him.  Your indignation for the wrongdoing will remain, but your merciful love for the wrongdoer will grow even more and you will try to defend him even from the condemnation that others throw on him.  It is similar to the episode of the adulterous woman who was brought before Jesus.  Her accusers told Jesus that according to the Jewish law that woman had to be stoned.  But Jesus told them “the one without sin will throw the first stone at her and one by one they left and only Jesus remained with the woman.  Actually He was the only sinless one who could have thrown the first stone. Instead His merciful love healed her and saved her.

The evil of abuse and the hope of forgiveness

Don’t take me wrong. Abuses by priests or Church people are wrong, detestable and tarnish the image of the Church as the Body of Christ. Victims and all those prone to become victims should be protected and supported. But I cry out with Jesus crucified “Father forgive them, for they do not know what they do’.

 Let us do likewise.

Send us your question on hello@universeoffaith.org

Read more:
– Restoring And Rebuilding The Church
– Top Pope Francis’ Quotes About The Church

The post It’s Hard to Say I’m Catholic When I See Bad Examples From Priests appeared first on Universe of Faith.

1. Let’s Be A Welcoming Church 

“The Church is called to be the house of the Father, with doors always wide open. One concrete sign of such openness is that our church doors should always be open, so that if someone, moved by the Spirit, comes there looking for God, he or she will not find a closed door… Everyone can share in some way in the life of the Church; everyone can be part of the community…. This is especially true of the sacrament which is itself “the door : baptism…the Church is not a tollhouse; it is the house of the Father, where there is a place for everyone, with all their problems.”
Pope Francis, Evangelii Gaudium, 2013, 47

2. Let’s Be A Church For Today’s World

“I dream of a “missionary option , that is, a missionary impulse capable of transforming everything, so that the Church’s customs, ways of doing things, times and schedules, language and structures can be suitably channeled for the evangelisation of today’s world rather than for her self-preservation.”
Pope Francis, Evangelii Gaudium, 2013, 27

3. The youth of the Church

“Youth is more than simply a period of time; it is a state of mind. That is why an institution as ancient as the Church can experience renewal and a return to youth at different points in her age-old history. Indeed, at the most dramatic moments of her history, she feels called to return with all her heart to her first love. Recalling this truth, the Second Vatican Council noted that, “enriched by a long and living history, and advancing towards human perfection in time and the ultimate destinies of history and of life, the Church is the real youth of the world . In her, it is always possible to encounter Christ “the companion and friend of youth.”
Pope Francis, Christ is Alive, 2019, 34″

Read more:
– Loved and Welcomed Back To The Catholic Church
– Cruxifices In Public Places

The post Top Pope Francis’ Quotes About The Church appeared first on Universe of Faith.

Church Quote 1 – Oliver Friggieri

“The Church may have let us down,
but the same fundamental principles for which she stands still beckon.”
Oliver Friggieri

Church Quote 2 – Stephen Colbert

“I love my church , warts and all.
Are there flaws in the Church? Absolutely. But is there great beauty in the Church? Absolutely The real reason I remain a Catholic is what the Church gives me, which is love.
Stephen Colbert

Church Quote 3 – Julianne Hough

“I’ve always had God, but now I want to go back to church for the sense of community and that feeling of positive thinking, a place where I can think about being a better person.”
Julianne Hough

Church Quote 4 – Eugenio Scalfari

“If the Church becomes like Pope Francis and becomes what he wants it to be, it will be an epochal change.”
Eugenio Scalfari

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– 10 Famous, Faithful, Practicing Christian Celebrities
– Top Pope Francis’ Quotes On Service To The Poor

The post Short Church Quotes by Famous People appeared first on Universe of Faith.