A lot to give

With the interview to Msgr. Mario Grech, bishop of Gozo (Malta), SIR Europe continues the special features dedicated to the reflections of European Bishops on the process of European integration and on Church though on the European common home. (Cf. SIR Europe 62-63-64-65-66-67-69-71-75-76-77-78-79-82).What opinion and expectations do Catholics in your country have regarding the European Union?“The current opinion among practicing Catholics is similarly nuanced. While the general opinion is that EU membership is a good thing – and this is to be expected since the Catholic Church is by nature universalistic and missionary – many believe that the soul of Europe is under attack by a number of European secularist lobbies who would, if they could, marginalize the Christian dimension of the European soul. This raises fears and Maltese Catholics feel vulnerable. But a growing opinion is that, if well calibrated, these fears should be seen as challenges. Maltese Catholics feel that we must defend those values which EU directives and legislation at times seems to threaten. The expectations of Catholics in Malta are substantially the same as those of Maltese society in general. From the EU we expect support in Malta’s endeavour to improve the standard of living and labour in such a way that no one is left out; we expect an enhanced respect for those personal and social rights that we have acquired over the last two centuries and now enjoy; we expect the freedom to hold on to our religious heritage and to pass it on to future generations while at the same time improving a growing and positive interaction with religious and civil diversity;, and so on. But we also want to be able to give our own peculiar – even though small – contribution to Europe”.The public opinion is based on correct information. Do you believe that adequate information regarding EU institutions and European Churches is available in your country? “I believe that information about the EU is amply available to the Maltese public. The EU constantly features in write-ups by journalists and columnists in most of the Maltese media, and issues related to the Catholic faith enjoy a fair and often supportive share. The 1993 commission set up by the Maltese Episcopal Conference in preparation for the eventual accession of Malta to the EU has now an advisory role which I and my colleagues can lean on with regards to certain issues that from time to time may have a bearing on the life of the Catholic Church in the EU, including of course Malta. Such recent issues have seen us address questions regarding discrimination in the place of work, the preservation of Sunday as a day of rest in the European labour and cultural calendar, issues regarding working conditions especially with regards to women, the right to life and the importance of ethics in biotechnology, the rights of family life and other issues. There is of course always room for improvement in providing the public with more and better information about the work of the Churches in the EU”. What contribution can the Church in your Country give to Europe? “The Church in Malta indeed can and does contribute to the EU. But I can say, with satisfaction, that Catholic members of both the European Parliament as well as the Council of Europe, of both the major political parties in Malta, as well as other lay activists give their contribution. There is still much that can be done in this mode of strengthening the Christian soul of Europe and Malta has a lot to give. The Catholic Church in my country is also in the forefront of the immigration crises that have been hitting the southern flanks of Europe for the last decade. Its agencies, in collaboration with the government of Malta as well as various religious orders, especially the Jesuits, are contributing in no small way to defend the dignity and the rights of refugees and so-called “illegal immigrants” that seek safety and the prosperity of the EU. I would not be far from the truth to say that the Church in my country has been in the forefront of the European Churches in this regard”.What do you think about the work carried out by European Churches in the EU so far?“Speaking of “the European Churches” includes the various confessions of the Reformation, predominant in many countries of northern Europe as well as the Churches of Eastern Orthodoxy who, I would say thankfully, are acquiring greater visibility and effectiveness in the affairs of the EU. The European Churches and the Catholic Church in particular, have done much to counter repeated attempts for an indiscriminate secularization of European laws and customs. If it were not for the work that has been done by the European Churches, the EU would today be less free, less tolerant of diversity in the public square, less respectful of the right to freedom of conscience, less open to dialogue with Islam and other non-Christian religions, less considerate to refugees and despairing immigrants as well as less mindful of the human dimensions”.