Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/404410
maltatoday, SUNDAY, 26 OCTOBER 2014 News 15 agenda," Gerada said. "For example, Fr Richard Woods made a similar argument in his book 'Another Kind of Love'… and this was way back in 1977. So while Pope Francis' statements are not new in and of themselves, I appreciate what he is doing – particularly in the sense that he's emphasising a more pasto- ral dimension, which prioritises the fact that you should embrace and welcome people to the fold." However, Gerada adds that any developments in this regard would have to be bolstered by theological developments too. "Ultimately, when it comes to ho- mosexuality, the question that needs to be answered is: are homosexuals 'defective' heterosexuals? If you have that perspective, a certain kind of teaching comes out… but if not, you have to negotiate with the changes you're currently seeing in society." Similarly, Gerada outlines a similar logical underpinning to how mar- riage relates to the Church. "There are two fundamental ques- tions: what makes marriage, mar- riage? And following on from that: what makes a marriage Christian? Once you set about answering those questions in earnest, gender ceases to really matter." Asked about the bishops' appar- ent resistance to Pope Francis' initial message, Gerada emphasises that "fear, in this area, is huge on the part of the Church hierarchy… my wish is to see less of a philosophy of fear and more of a philosophy of joy". Manuel Mangani, blogger and so- cial worker specialising in alcohol and drug abuse prevention, also cau- tioned against seeing Pope Francis' statements as being in any way rev- olutionary, lamenting that, "it was perceived as such by a media which persists in characterising the Church as a homophobic institution intent on issuing anathemas on those indi- viduals with a homosexual orienta- tion". "The Pope's proposal echoes what he already stated months ago: that the Church must change emphasis and harp less about what is wrong, while stressing the human aspect of its relationship with individuals who are living in ways which do not reflect Catholic morality," Mangani said. Mangani is hopeful that the discus- sions begun during the synod will lead to a positive 'trickle-down' effect on the local scenario – pointing out that new currents are already being felt, what with "the supposedly 'tradi- tionalist" Gozo Bishop Mario Grech penning an article encouraging re- flection on whether the position and practices of the Orthodox Church regarding remarriage could lead to ideas that would allow divorced and re-married individuals to receive Communion without compromis- ing the doctrine of indissolubility. "Understandably this has pro- voked an animated discussion in local Catholic circles, but it is from these discussions that ideas for the way forward may emerge," Mangani said. 'Animated' is a key word for 'Iswed Fuq l-Abjad' presenter Frank Psaila too, who hopes that both the synod in particular and Pope Francis' more inclusive and tolerant approach in general will pave the way to a live- lier and more relevant scenario in Malta. "I certainly hope that the con- servative element which appears to have taken the upper hand at the synod, doesn't also stifle debate in Malta. I hope to see a Church that is alive and open – a Church which you can point to as being relevant, even if you may not agree with its fundamental teachings," Psaila said, adding that relevance is a crucial concern for the Maltese Church since, "you could say that over the past couple of years, it has ceased to be relevant at all". Novelist Immanuel Mifsud, hav- ing previously complained about the rote way in which religion tends to be taught in schools, is heartened by how the synod has revealed "differ- ing factions" within even the highest echelons of Church institutions. "If we understand that the Church is not a monolithic institution, but one which has many dissenting voic- es within it, this will hopefully en- courage a less rigid way of teaching religion, and one which encourages livelier debate," Mifsud said. Deputy leader of the Labour Party Toni Abela was also hopeful that, notwithstanding what he charac- terises the "conservative element" within the clergy, Pope Francis' over- all message could be seen as an even more tolerant development on Vati- can II. "Vatican II was predicated on the tolerance of other religions. Now, there should be a 'second Vatican II' – which doesn't just embrace dif- ferent religions, but different types of individuals too," Abela said. "It's going to be an interesting year" – Mario Gerada "The Church needs to harp less about what is wrong, while stressing its relationship with individuals" – Manuel Mangani Frank Psaila Mario Gerada Gozo Bishop Mario Grech with Pope Francis at this year's Catholic synod. Grech was Malta's representative at the synod