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6 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 27 MARCH 2022 OPINION 2 maltatoday EXECUTIVE EDITOR KURT SANSONE ksansone@mediatoday.com.mt Letters to the Editor, MaltaToday, Vjal ir-Rihan, San Gwann SGN 9016 E-mail: dailynews@mediatoday.com.mt Letters must be concise, no pen names accepted, include full name and address maltatoday | SUNDAY • 27 APRIL 2025 A world in need of Francis's human touch Editorial POPE Francis compared the church to a field hos- pital in a wide-ranging interview he gave to the Italian Jesuit journal La Civiltà Cattolica in 2013. The church, he argued, should be concerned with tending to gravely wounded patients rather than defending its own interests. "It is useless to ask a seriously injured person if he has high cholesterol and about the level of his blood sugars," Francis told his interviewer. "You have to heal his wounds. Then we can talk about everything else." These are the words of a man who was interest- ed in humanity above everything else. A man who saw the person before seeing what they stood for. And this is what made Francis special to many Catholics and others who have no faith. As a secular newspaper that believes in equali- ty, justice and freedom, it is this human touch of Pope Francis that we cherish. It is a human touch that looks at people, first and foremost, not as ob- jects requiring conversion but beings that need accompaniment in their daily and personal tra- vails. It is a human touch that understands the importance of caring for the environment and creating a society that cares about each and every individual. In his apostolic exhortation Amoris Laetitia (The Joy of Love), Francis imparted his teachings on family life. For those in the church who believe dogma should be the beginning and end all of any discussion, the exhortation was an irrelevant piece of gibberish not grounded in theological thought. But for many others it was a profound piece grounded in the humanity of everyday re- alities families face. It showed an understanding of the complexities that surround family life – all types of family life. More importantly, it called on church leaders not to be judgmental and instead set foot in the field, effectively becoming field doctors, and accompany people as they journey through life. Amoris Laetitia may not have been a theologi- cal document but it certainly provided food for thought; it was a reflection worth making about the family, marriage, companionship, children and the complexities that surround these matters. It was a welcome departure from the judgmental attitude of church moralists because it shifted the language to one of compassion. Pope Francis did not substantially change the Church's official stance on issues like abortion and gender identity, issues that resonate with a secular and progressive newspaper like ours. But he changed the Catholic church's order of priorities, putting social inequality and the glo- balisation of indifference towards migrants and the poor at the top of his agenda, while side-lin- ing divisive culture wars. Once again, "healing wounds" and accompa- nying people who are suffering, is more impor- tant than passing moral judgement on the choic- es people make. Obviously, Francis framed this within the teachings of the Gospel but it provided a refreshing way of looking at things that left peo- ple listening. In this context he was a moral compass in an increasingly hostile world and served as a ref- erence point even for progressives, atheists and agnostics. These people felt comfortable in Pope Francis's broad humanistic church even if they disagreed with some of its teachings. On abortion, he changed the rules, allowing all priests, and not just bishops or their delegates, to absolve women who had committed this 'sin'. But while he still described the act as murder, he framed it more as a symptom of a "throwaway culture" than a condemnation of women. Despite showing openness, understanding and compassion towards members of the LGBTIQ+ community, it was a disappointment when he backtracked on a highly symbolic proposal to allow priests to officiate blessings of same-sex unions. The patriarchy in the church is still too strong a force to shift views. But in a world where far-right ideology tries to appropriate Catholic traditional values to di- vide communities and stigmatise those who are different, Pope Francis was a beacon of hope. He scorned this ideology much to the chagrin of traditionalists within the church who yearn for a world painted in black and white. The question now after Francis's death is wheth- er the church will relapse into traditionalism or remain steadfast in its commitment to social jus- tice and its engagement with modernity. We only hope that the 135 cardinals gathered in conclave to choose the next pope take a cue from Francis's message that the church should be "a field hospi- tal" dirtying its hands by tending to the wounded rather than aim for self-preservation. Quote of the Week "Pope Francis was an apostle of mercy... he preached closeness, compassion, and tenderness." Archbishop Charles J. Scicluna in his homily during a special mass at St John's Co-Cathedral for the repose of the soul of the late pontiff. MaltaToday 10 years ago Government inks €2 million Shanghai property deal 26 April 2015 THE Maltese government has ac- quired a new property in Shanghai, the largest city in China, making it Malta's second presence in the People's Republic. MaltaToday has learnt that the acquisi- tion was made on behalf of the ministry for foreign affairs, with the Shanghai Hui Jing Real Estate Development Co. Ltd. The price for the property is 13,339,200 RMB – or €2.01 million. This newspaper is informed that the property has an area of 238 square metres, having sold at the princely sum of €8,445 per square metre. The property will likely be used for a consular presence in Shanghai, which is the base for Sai Mizzi Liang – wife of energy minister Konrad Mizzi – who was ap- pointed as a trade envoy for Malta En- terprise back in 2013. Although Sai Mizzi does not fall within the remit of the foreign ministry, foreign affairs minister George Vella had said in 2014 that a new Maltese consulate would be opened in Shanghai. The Prime Minister's Office has taken pride in its choice of Sai Mizzi for trade envoy, despite opening it up to accusa- tions of nepotism by appointing a minis ter's wife so soon after the 2013 election.