Xavier de Mérode was a Belgian count, an archbishop and a top aide to Pope Pius IX. He was also Minister of War of the Papal States way back in the mid-1800s. He is famous for his saying that “Making reforms in Rome is like cleaning the Sphinx with a toothbrush.”

That particular task was easier at de Mérode’s time than it would be today since at that time the Great Sphinx of Egypt was buried up to its neck showing the human head but hiding the body of the lion below.  Egyptians had to wait for the French engineer Emil Baraize to clear the base between 1925-1936.

So when Pope Francis used de Mérode’s metaphor a few days ago he was implying that his declared task of reforming the Curia and the Church is an extremely hard one. He sort of tried to soften the blow by saying that the saying was amusing besides being pointed. Since his audience, including people hindering this reform, found it anything but amusing.

The content of his address was the first important aspect. The second important one was the occasion during which the address was delivered. It was the customary annual Christmas greeting address. Once more he disappointed, and did so purposely, those who believe that Christmas is just the season to be jolly, to utter inconsequential niceties and paper over the cracks. For Francis, and for any Christian worth his salt, Christmas is nothing of the sort.

Francis, during his address, was not jolly but sombre. He uttered harsh words instead of inconsequential compliments. He pushed for deep surgery not papering over the cracks. For him Christmas is very clearly the season to call things by their real name. He seems to be losing his patience with those trying to undermine his programme of reform and clearly told them that enough is enough.

We are becoming a country of cynics where everything has a price but nothing has value

Francis identified three groups of people who are obstructing his attempts to reform the Roman Curia.

Those who foment an “unbalanced and debased mindset of plots and small cliques” form one group.  He said that “they are, in fact, …  part of a cancer leading to a self-centredness.”

If that sounds hard, read what he said next about the second group of obstructionists. They are “those who betray the trust put in them and profiteer from the Church’s motherhood”.

The third group are Curia employees “to whom all the time in the world is given to get back on the right track, in the hope that they find in the Church’s patience an opportunity for conversion and not for personal advantage”.

What interests me more than the content of the Pope’s address is his two-pronged strategy which Maltese Catholics should adopt in the very difficult situation we find ourselves in. First: never tire of a situation that looks impossible (the Sphinx/toothbrush metaphor). Secondly Christian festivals are there to help us confront situations as they really are, warts and all, not to alienate us from them.

Archbishop Scicluna, like Francis, did not do any pussy-footing during the traditional greetings to State authorities. He went beyond inanities or pleasantries ‘for the occasion’. He spoke to the President about Daphne’s assassination, told the Speaker that it is not right for Parliament to receive redacted documents, addressed the Prime Minister about the use of social media and emphasised the right of all to be treated equally by the Civil Service. It is unfortunate that many inside the Church do not follow his example.

Some may disagree with Francis and Scicluna, saying that during this time of year we should forget controversies and just concentrate on ‘nice things’. I have nothing against nice things such as authentic national unity. And I have no problem praising the many positive things happening around us. However, I am not ready to do this as part of an exercise that alienates.

Let us take L-Istrina for example. It is a great event; a feast of solidarity. It disseminates a lot of good vibes and positive sentiments. This is all fantastic. But should we stop there? Isn’t it also a fact that some of those who contributed large sums made (and are making) that money from raping our environment, or from suspiciously awarded contracts or from financial services with dubious ethical basis? They call the contribution part of their corporate and social responsibility. I call it restitution pure and simple or the giving back to the nation part of the gain that should have never been made.

There undoubtedly is a lot of good in our country. But this is also a country that is being corrupted to its core. We are becoming a country of cynics where everything has a price but nothing has value.

If these things are not said during Christmas time when can they be said?

The Maltese Sphinx really needs a lot of toothbrushes.

joseph.borg@um.edu.mt