The ecclesiastical province of Malta and Gozo toward the Bishops’ Synods 2014 & 2015

Abstract

The results of the Synod questionnaire from the population of the island state of Malta, assumes a particular significance when one considers that the majority professes and practices the Roman Catholic religion and is imbued in a Christian culture. While the results generally follow the same trends as in other countries, they reveal certain peculiarities. The emergence of new trends in sexual morality, typical of western societies, alongside the traditional family patterns, may seem paradoxical. The results have exposed a split between Church teachings and the life of the people, and possibly also between the old and the younger generations. While a common feature could be a degree of ignorance on Church teachings the part of the laity, the Church faces cultural and linguistic barriers in communicating. Despite this, the results suggest a kind of resilience by the Maltese family in preserving the traditional beliefs as transmitted by a Christian culture, albeit in a latent manner. At the same time they pose new challenges for the Church and its mission of evangelization.