A Trojan horse

The Maltese ecclesiastical authorities consider Fr Mark Montebello a 'Trojan horse'; hence the recent gag-bit. Why the muzzle? Because he is not a 'hollow' horse like the legendary wooden Trojan Horse. And what if he succeeds in breaking the walls of the city of God? Hence the scare even of his shadow. Newspapers continue to fan the flames.

But is gagging a 'rebel' the right thing to do? Has not this policy backfired in the long history of the Church and always had the opposite effect to what was intended? Is not Socrates' process of arriving at truth by means of dialogue the best attitude to adopt? I mean negotiations without the Grand Inquisitor's threat.

Maybe these attempts have been tried in the past, to no avail. But did not his exclusion from the local synod prove to be a thorn-apple by injuring his already wounded feelings? Or was he the limit? But is there any limit to arrive at truth, including theological truth? Isn't Mark Montebello right to ask where this present Pope will eventually lead us to, considering his conservative mentality?

After all, bishops, and Popes a fortiori, are there to lead. I know, comparisons are odious, but what a difference between Pope John XXIII and Pope Pius XII. By his Second Vatican Council, the former achieved the most momentous event in the Church in the last century. On the other hand, the latter purchased the smooth façade of apparent unity by silencing Yves Congar, OP, and Henri de Lubac, SJ, both great influential theologians at Vatican II.

These are conflicts of minds and attitudes which can go deeper than anyone can foretell. Hence, Fr Mark's legitimate question about the present Pope. At least one should give him the benefit of the doubt.

But to doubt about Fr Mark's sincere care about the Church and its future is a false accusation. Archbishop Mercieca too cares passionately about his flock. But the fact that both care cannot be the reconciling principle since each one of them cares about the Church in a different way.

This is the usual conflict between liberals and conservatives as was very much visible in Vatican II where Joseph Ratzinger, as the liberal peritus (expert) of Cardinal Frings, called on conservative Cardinal Ottaviani's Holy Office to reform itself instead of muzzling theologians.

Ratzinger's complete reversal of position took place when he realised that Vatican II was becoming a 'Church parliament' and he resigned from contributing to Swiss-based theological journal Concilium, specifically influenced by Hans Küng. Ratzinger started his own magazine, Communio to countercheck Concilium. And so, as head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Cardinal Ratzinger became a staunch conservative, as Fr Montebello remarked.

But as Pope Benedict XVI, Ratzinger will personally have to answer for the decisions he will take. Fr Mark, like an articulate minority who care, is anxious to know. For example, intercommunion, the ultimate end of ecumenism, is achieved only by give-and-take principle. Is the present Pope ready to sacrifice his primacy to attain the desired effect which all Christians are waiting for? There are various other issues at stake. Time will tell.

Personally, I am not concerned with the 'substance' of Fr Montebello's recent 'harangues', although I don't always see eye to eye with him, but rather with their 'form' which by now is known to all of us.

Fr Mark, il tono fa la musica, they say. Religious conflict is more demanding than ordinary secular conflict, because religion involves the whole person. That's why it arouses passions and why changes take such a long time. But changes do occur against those who want to maintain the Church's status quo indefinitely. Ecclesia est semper purificanda, or reformanda (as the Protestants prefer it).

Archbishop Mercieca has at heart the many 'illiterate' persons, as Fr Montebello put it, who go to church on Sundays - the usual vicious circle which justifies the existing status quo of religious affairs?!

Maybe these divergent views could be reconciled in the transcendent act of the Mass, and Archbishop Mercieca and Fr Mark Montebello could embrace one another like Hans Küng and his erstwhile friend Joseph Ratzinger - at least a temporary respite for the benefit of the whole community.