Profound Christian roots exist in Maltese society. They can be traced in the way of thinking, in language, in forms of social conduct. These roots need to be revived in present-day conditions to respond to the challenges posed by the young in a society in continual transformation. “The young today are particularly responsive to the universality of the human vocation. In a certain sense the young today are ‘born catholics’. They are born citizens of the world. The astonishing developments of communications could be the new ‘sacrament’ that makes Christ present in the midst of humanity”. The Maltese Church is conscious that in the contemporary world, ever more pluralist in its cultural, political, economic and social expressions, the young have abandoned an absolutist approach in their search for the truth. A consequence of this is that there cannot be an external imposition that guides them to this truth. “The witness of the martyrs, of those who have given their life for the truth in which they believe, is the most effective way”. This witness must be given in a spirit of great tolerance and reciprocal respect. The young have a need to see how love may transform differences into an experience of brotherhood rather than into conflict. That’s why “they have a need to experience how for the Church the person is an absolute priority, the sinner more important that the sin, the spirit more important than the letter of the law”. The Maltese experience demonstrates that the young are very receptive to ecumenical dialogue and to experiences of international brotherhood such as the World Youth Days.
