Archive for October, 2010

KNISJA APPOSTOLIKA
Omelija ta’ Mons Isqof Mario Grech
Pontifikal ta’ Missierna San Pawl
Kolleġġjata ta’ San Pawl Nawfragu, il-Belt Valletta – It-Tnejn 18 ta’ Ottubru 2010

Il-Knisja “dawl tal-ġnus”

Ir-rakkont tan-nawfraġju ta’ Missierna Pawlu fuq ix-xtut tagħna, li jagħtina Luqa fl-Atti tal-Appostli, f’ċertu sens huwa r-rakkont tal-ġrajja tal-lum!  Għaliex fostna għaddejja tempesta.  Il-ħalel kbar tal-baħar kulma jmur qegħdin jipperikolaw il-ħajja ta’ ħafna individwi, tal-familji tagħna, tal-komunitajiet Insara, u anki l-ħajja tas-soċjetà tagħna.

Imma r-rakkont tan-nawfraġju fih nota pożittiva, li mhux biss għamlet kuraġġ lil dawk li kienu ma’ Pawlu fuq il-ġifen, imma tagħmel kuraġġ lilna lkoll illum.  Għax lin-nies ta’ madwaru, mhedda b’diversi modi minn dik it-tempesta, Pawlu jiżgurahom li ħadd minnhom ma kien ser jintilef.  Pawlu jagħtihom kelma assiguranti, għax Alla kien magħhom biex jirbħu l-elementi tan-natura.

U f’din iċ-ċirkustanza nixtieq naqsam magħkom aħbar tajba, għaliex anki aħna għandna x’jagħmlilna kuraġġ, x’jimlina bit-tama quddiem in-nawfraġji li qegħdin nassistu għalihom.  Fostna għandna l-preżenza ta’ Pawlu: preżenza pperpetwata permezz tal-Knisja Appostolika.

Dalwaqt niċċelebraw il-ħamsin sena minn meta beda l-Konċilju Vatikan II.  Dan il- Konċilju jagħtina kostituzzjoni dommatika sabiħa dwar il-Knisja u jirrikonoxxi l-Knisja ta’ Kristu bħala “Lumen gentium” – dawl tal-ġnus.  Il-Knisja hija msejħa biex taqbad l-istess triq ta’ Kristu ħalli twassal lill-bnedmin il-frott tal-fidwa (nru 8).  Bil-mandat li taha Kristu, il-Knisja xxandar il-Bxara t-Tajba u tfejjaq lill-bniedem minn kull xorta ta’ mard, mhux biss dak fiżiku imma wkoll dak spiritwali u morali.  Ma naqtgħux qalbna, għaliex fostna hija preżenti l-Knisja ta’ Kristu, dik il-Knisja illi taf it-tnissil tagħha fil-gżejjer tagħna permezz ta’ Missierna San Pawl.

Eżami tal-kuxjenza

Fl-istorja sabiħa ta’ ġensna hemm diversi episodji illi jikkonfermaw li matul dawn l-elf disa’ mija u ħamsin sena l-Knisja kienet dawl għall-poplu tagħna u strument biex il-bnedmin jiksbu l-ħelsien veru.  Allura llum nistaqsi: X’inhi r-raġuni li f’pajjiżna l-Knisja qed tiġi tant miġġielda?  Għaliex fostna għandna tant qilla kontra l-Knisja?  Għaliex illum il-Knisja mhix preżenza li ddawwal, tfejjaq, twassal il-Bxara t-Tajba u l-verità fuq ħafna aspetti tal-ħajja tagħna?  Jistax ikun illi bħala Knisja bdejna nitilfu mill-identità u l-awtentiċità tagħna?
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Media Release from the Australian High Commisioner

The Australian High Commissioner, Her Excellency Anne Quinane, is pleased to announce the High Commission’s participation in two upcoming media events at Dar l-Emigrant.

 On  Wednesday 13 October  at  10.00am  the High Commissioner has agreed to deliver a few remarks at a media conference at Dar l-Emigrant on the subject of the canonisation of Australia’s first saint, Mother Mary Mackillop. The canonisation will take place at St Peter’s Basilica in Rome on Sunday 17 October. At the initiative of the Friends of Australia Association in Malta, the canonisation will be marked at the usual 9.15am Sunday mass at St John’s Co-Cathedral in Malta. The High Commissioner will attend the mass.

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sultana-azzopardi-joseph-1.jpgIllum, il-Ġimgħa 8 ta’ Ottubru 2010, Mons Isqof Mario Grech ħatar lill-Kanonku Dr Dun Joseph Sultana Arċipriet tal-Kolleġġjata Bażilika tal-Għarb. F’din il-kariga l-Kanonku Joseph Sultana ser jissuċċiedi lill-Arċipriet Mons. Carmelo Gauci surmast attwali tal-Iskola Primarja tal-Konservatorju tal-Isqof.

Dun Joseph Sultana twieled ix-Xagħra fil-21 ta’ Mejju 1976. Ħa l-edukazzjoni tieghu fl-iskola Primarja Patri Mattew Sultana u wara dik sekondarja u postsekondarja fil-Liċeo Ninu Cremona u Sir Mikelanġ Refalo.

Fl-1994 beda l-kors tal-formazzjoni għas-saċerdozju fis-Seminarju tal-Qalb ta’ Ġesù.  Bejn is-sena 1998-1999 għamel l-esperjenza tas-sena barra ġewwa l-Istati Uniti, fil-parroċċa ta’ St. Angela, Detroit, Michigan.  Lura f’Għawdex, kiseb il-Baċellerat fit-Teoloġija mis-Seminarju tal-Qalb ta’ Ġesù.  Ġie kkonsagrat saċerdot mill-ET Mons Nikol Ġ Cauchi nhar l-20 ta’ Ġunju 2001.

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Statement on Demography and Family

The Presidents of the Bishops’ Conferences of Europe gathering in Zagreb, Croatia, for the 40th General Assembly of the Council of the European Bishops’ Conferences (CCEE), discussed the issue of demography and family. A survey carried out via the Bishops’ Conferences of 47 Countries confirms a downward population trend. This is certainly the result of family policies in each Nation, but such observation does not appear sufficient to explain the sharp and generalised fall in birth rates described as a demographic winter.  The current widespread cultural climate has an impact on personal and social behavioural patterns which should not be underestimated. As Catholics, we need to grow in a faith featuring greater awareness and knowledge, in order to be able to critically assess the mainstream culture questioning values such as human life from its beginnings to it’s natural end, the objective structure of the human person, freedom as a moral responsibility, faithfulness, love and family. One instance is current-day debate at the Council of Europe on limiting the right to objection of conscience for medical personnel in order to make abortion more accessible. All this shows that as well as the need to keep our faith well rooted and alive, there is a need to believe in the ability of reason to discover the truth of things in themselves as well as ethics. The substantial lack of trust in human reason seems to be a feature of so-called post-modernity. The presence of the Catholic Church in this context must be inspired by hope: our hope is Jesus Christ, and it identifies the signs of care and trust which we do find expressed in private form.

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