The St Paul’s Shipwreck Parish Munxar recently hosted the 51st Diocesan Congress of the Holy Name Society in Gozo.

The Congress was held over one week with the theme, ‘That with one mind, and with one mouth, you may glorify God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ’ (Romans 15:6).

The Congress ended with a cortege with the statue of Christ the Good Shepherd to the Parish Centre, which was followed by a celebration, which included messages by the Parish Priest Fr Michael Said, the Gozo and National Chaplains: Mgr Eucharist Sultana and Fr Tonio Mallia Milanes, OP, as well as a short sketch by a group of young people.

The address in full by the Bishop of Gozo Mgr. Mario Grech, is shown below in Maltese.

RITRATT IMGEDDED TAL-KNISJA

“Id-dixxipli ta’ Ghemmaws, meta gew wicc imb’wicc ma’ Gesù, ma gharfuhx. Kienu jaghmluha mieghu, imma xorta wahda ma ntebhux bih. Ir-raguni hija li dawn kellhom “ritratt antik” ta’ Gesù u ghalhekk, meta ltaqghu mieghu “imgedded” ghax qam mill-mewt, ma gharfuhx. Fil-fatt, huma hasbu li Gesù kien dak li juza xi setgha politika u jehodha kontra r-Rumani biex “jifdi” lil Israel u hekk iwaqqaf saltna gdida. Kienu ghadhom jistennew li Gesù huwa dak li ser jaghmel xi sawt jew jaqbad ix-xabla biex jehodha kontra dawk li ma jaqblux mieghu; kienu konvinti li Gesù kien ser jitfa’ ‘l barra lil dawk li kienu kontra tieghu. Ma setghux inizzluha li Gesù ma jirribellax quddiem dawk li tawh il-Passjoni. Peress li kellhom dan “ir-ritratt antik” ta’ Alla li kien dejjem minn fuq u rebbieh, qatt ma setghu jifhmu kif Gesù kien ser jiccekken daqshekk li jiehu l-mewt tas-salib u hekk skont il-kriterji taghhom jidher tellief! Minhabba dawn ir-ragunijiet u ohrajn, id-dixxipli ma ntebhux li Gesù kien hdejhom haj.

Illum ukoll hemm ir-riskju li xi Nsara jigrilhom bhad-dixxipli ta’ Ghemmaws – peress li ghandhom “ritratt antik” ta’ Gesù, ghajnejhom jibqghu maghluqa ghall-prezenza gdida tieghu. Fil-fatt ghadni niltaqa’ ma’ Nsara li jemmnu li Gesù huwa l-“gustizzier” li ghandu “jikkastiga” lill-hazin. Iktar ihossuhom komdi bl-idea ta’ Gesù l-arguzin milli t-tabib li jrid ifejjaq il-marid u jaghti l-hajja lill-mejtin. Huma familjari aktar ma’ Gesù sultan milli ma’ Gesù qaddej. Hemm min huwa konvint li l-hbieb ta’ Gesù huma biss dawk li huma perfetti u ghalhekk ma hemmx spazju ghal min hu inqas perfett. Hemm min jidhirlu li Gesù ma jimpurtahx minn dawk in-naghag li ntefghu lura jew intilfu. Uhud bhal donnhom jiskandalizzaw ruhhom quddiem il-hniena infinita ta’ Alla. Ohrajn jitfixlu meta jaraw lil Gesù jidhol u joqghod ghand il-midneb.

Ma neskludix li propju minhabba dan “ir-ritratt antik” li jghozzu dawn l-Insara zeloti, ikun hemm min jitnaffar u jitlef kull interess f’Gesù veru li wara l-Qawmien mill-mewt ma jiqafx joffri l-paci tieghu, jindiehes mal-hbieb tieghu u fl-ahhar jibghathom ixandru l-bxara t-tajba u jahfru d-dnubiet.

Nibza’ li min ghandu “ritratt antik” ta’ Gesù, ghandu wkoll “ritratt antik” tal-Knisja. Fil-fatt hawn min ghadu johlom bi Knisja tal-imghoddi – Knisja b’poteri temporali, xi qawwa dominanti fis-socjetà (qawwa numerika, ekonomika, morali u politika), Knisja awtoreferenzjali, maghluqa u medhija fiha nfisha. Ma nistaghgibx li min ghandu dan ir-ritratt antik tal-Knisja jitfixkel meta jiltaqa’ mal-Knisja li temmen li l-mandat taghha huwa li twassal “ir-ritratt gdid” ta’ Kristu u mhux tant il-ligijiet!

Esponent ewlieni tal-Knisja tal-lum huwa l-Papa Frangisku, li jghid li jippreferi Knisja migruha, feruta u mahmuga ghax tohrog fit-toroq, milli Knisja marida bl-gheluq u bil-kumdità tac-certezzi li maghhom hi ggranfata. “Ma rridux Knisja mohhha li hi fic-centru u tispicca maghluqa f’tahbila ta’ ossessjonijiet u proceduri. Jekk hemm xi haga li bir-ragun kollu ghandha tinkwetana u thassibna fil-kuxjenza taghna hi li tant minn hutna qed jghixu minghajr il-qawwa, id-dawl u l-farag tal-hbiberija ma’ Gesù Kristu, minghajr komunità ta’ fidi li tilqaghhom ghandha, minghajr ebda xefaq ta’ sens u ta’ hajja. Iktar milli l-biza’ li nizbaljaw, nittama li dak li jharrikna jkun il-biza’ li ninghalqu fl-istrutturi li jaghtuna protezzjoni falza, fin-normi li jibdluna fi mhallfin bla hniena, fid-drawwiet li fihom inhossuna trankwilli, waqt li hemm barra hemm folla kbira mgewha u Gesù li qed itennilna bla heda: ‘Aghtuhom intom x’jieklu'” (ara Evangelii Gaudium, 49).

Dan huwa r-ritratt li jien ghandi tal-Knisja. Hija din il-Knisja ta’ Kristu li nemmen li ghandi ndewwaq lill-ohrajn. Hija din il-vizjoni ta’ Knisja li timbuttani biex meta nemmen li jkun il-waqt, inwassal il-Bxara t-tajba ta’ Kristu. Hadd u xejn ma hu ser ixekkel il-libertà tal-appostlu konvint li huwa msejjah biex ikun kanal tal-imhabba ta’ Alla ghall-bnedmin u li ta’ dan biss irid jaghti kont.”

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