Exactly one year ago His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI was among us. The Maltese people joyfully welcomed him with great anticipation and happiness and like all truly special occasions, the visit seemed to rush by in an instant.  Yet brief as it was, the Pope’s visit served as an occasion for us to reflect upon and deepen our Christian faith as bequeathed to us by the Apostle St Paul.

After having prayed in the Cave of St Paul at Rabat, Pope Benedict admitted that he had participated in “an intense moment of prayer”, explaining that “from Paul’s subsequent stay on Malta, a fervent and solid Christian community was born, which two thousand years later is still faithful to the Gospel and seeks to associate it with the complex questions of the modern age”.  The Pope praised the way that Malta has been able to build a nation founded on Christian values, affirming that “the Maltese people find answers to the new challenges in the Christian view of life”.  In addressing youths at the Valletta Waterfront, Pope Benedict confirmed one sign of this: the fact that Malta has maintained a profound respect for unborn life and for the sacredness of marriage, choosing not to introduce abortion or divorce into our country’s legal system.

Little did the Pope know that just one year following his visit, the people of Malta were going to be confronted with a difficult choice regarding precisely this position.

In his welcoming address, the Pope appealed to President George Abela that the nation may “continue to stand up for the indissolubility of marriage as a natural institution as well as a sacramental one and for the true nature of the family”.  He made a similar appeal on his departure: “Look to the future with hope, with profound respect for God’s creation, with reverence for human life, and with high esteem for marriage and the integrity of the family!”

Echoing his words, Archbishop Paul Cremona in his homily, delivered last Sunday during a concelebrated mass to celebrate the first anniversary of the Pastoral Visit, stated that through these words, the Pope encompassed all of that which God – through the mystery of creation – gave to mankind as “the greatest three gifts” which are found in the Book of Genesis:

  • the gift of the earth – which we called upon to preserve
  • the gift of life – each and every human being, created in His image and likeness
  • the gift of the family – based upon stable marriage between one man and one woman and their children

Indeed, declared Archbishop Cremona, these are gifts which the Church must continue to insist upon.  As the Pope established at Rabat, the world needs credible Christian witness, especially given the many threats facing human life, traditional marriage and the “moral truths which remain the foundation of authentic freedom and genuine progress”.

In his homily during the Mass on the Granaries, the Holy Father encouraged the people of Malta to trust in God and follow His teachings in order to gather an abundant harvest, stating that “not everything that today’s world proposes is worthy of acceptance”.  He continued to state that “many voices try to persuade us to put aside our faith in God and His Church and to choose for ourselves the values and beliefs by which to live” – values which are not always in accordance with the truth of the Gospel.  In a similar vein, last Sunday our Archbishop urged us to shoulder the great – but beautiful – responsibility of transmitting that which we receive and believe and to give courageous witness to the sanctity of life and the centrality of marriage and family life for a healthy society.

Exactly one year ago tens of thousands of Maltese lined the streets to pay homage to the Vicar of Christ.  One priest said “they came out for Christ”. One year later, are we still willing to come out for Christ?

Christine Galea

Diocesan Commission for the Family