Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1493590
9 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 26 FEBRUARY 2023 NEWS faith or identity totem? a clear cultural marker." "For centuries 'Malta Kattolika' has served to build a national identity in opposition to the 'other' whether the 'other' is 'enemy', 'coloniser' or both," Delicata told MaltaToday. But as amply shown by the Discern 2018 church attendance census and other studies by the same institute this "affiliation" does not necessar- ily translate to actual worship and practice. Moreover, Catholic values are also interpreted differently by Catho- lic themselves. The question facing the church according to Delicata is how this cultural m a r k - er – Roman Catholic – can be har- nessed, "for better or for worse", in today's reality of immigration and as Malta strives to negotiate a new cul- tural identity in a context of ethnic and religious diversity. Immigration itself is also boosting the number of Catholics in Malta. "Indeed 40,000 immigrants identi- fy as Roman Catholics. But almost half of that figure are Asian, Arab, African and Latino Catholics, of- fering the local Catholic Church a stronger sense of the global reality of Catholicism itself," Delicata said. She also noted that in line with the secular trend where religion be- comes more a personal choice rath- er than a cultural marker, for both immigrants and Maltese, the second largest category of religious affiliation — even larger than Islam or Or- t h o d o x Christianity — is the "Nones". Delicata said the number of those who do not identify with any reli- gion are found in the younger gen- erations. This includes 7% of Mal- tese under 30s, who do not identify with any religion. "The cultural marker of 'Mal- ta Kattolika' is weakening: it is no longer true that Catholicism nec- essarily has a Maltese or European face; nor does it seem to be true that the Maltese will continue to identi- fy as Catholics," she said. The real issue facing society and the church is how the embedded cultural narra- tive of 'Malta Kattolika' will evolve in the future. She asked pertinently: "Will it be used as an excuse to erect walls against foreigners in order to de- fend our traditions or cultural iden- tity? Or, in a true Catholic religious spirit, will it be used to open doors of hospitality to promote a culture of encounter and dialogue that re- spects the dignity of all?" Delicata believes that the Catholic Church in Malta, that includes a diversity of Catholics, and has very strong ecumenical links to Orthodox and Protestant Church- es, "can be a powerful agent to help facilitate a transition to nurturing mutual respect for the common good in an increasingly multicultur- al context." NADUR CATHOLICS 98.1% 95% ST PAUL'S BAY CATHOLICS ALL 91.6% U30 84.9% NON-AFFILIATED ALL 3.8% U30 10.3% SWIEQI CATHOLICS ALL 93.7% U30 88.7% NON-AFFILIATED ALL 3.6% U30 9.5% PEMBROKE CATHOLICS ALL 95.1% U30 90.3% ST JULIAN'S CATHOLICS ALL 93% U30 85.9% NON-AFFILIATED ALL 3.1% U30 9.8% MSIDA CATHOLICS ALL 94.1% U30 87.9% NON-AFFILIATED ALL 3% U30 8.4% MARSASKALA CATHOLICS ALL 95.3% U30 90.6% GZIRA CATHOLICS ALL 94.1% U30 87.2% SLIEMA CATHOLICS ALL 93.7% U30 84.8% QORMI CATHOLICS ALL 98.1% U30 94.8% The 5 localities with the highest percentage of non-affiliated Maltese citizens Source: Census 2021, NSO Percentages are based on population aged 15 and up Nadia Deliacata