Kudos to the Apostolic Nuncio Archbishop Savio Hon Tai Fai for posing for a photograph at the US Embassy alongside fellow Hong Konger and activist Samuel Chu. But why, you may ask, am I giving this a lot of importance? And what does this have to do with the current situation in Malta?
The American Embassy, in its statement, described Samuel Chu as “a tireless advocate for democracy and human rights in Hong Kong and across the world”. On the other hand, China feels Samuel is a criminal and its enemy. In July 2020, Samuel became the first foreign citizen to be targeted under the infamous National Security Law passed in Hong Kong to suppress dissent. A year later, China upped the ante. Samuel was sanctioned by China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs under a different law. There is an arrest warrant hanging over his head.
Samuel, the son of a Baptist Minister, is also critical of the bilateral agreement between the Vatican and China. Samuel says, and he is not alone, that it risks “essentially baptising or washing away the sins of the regime”.
As a Catholic, I felt proud that the pope’s representative was photographed alongside Samuel, an activist with such a pedigree. It shows that the Church is not shy to meet people risking their lives for a just world, even if the sign of respect shown can be interpreted by many (rightly or wrongly) as a sign of support. The Vatican has a very delicate relationship with the Chinese government which still persecutes Christians and considers activists like Samuel to be its enemy. But sad would be the day when the Church would shirk from such prophetic gestures out of fear of the reaction of, and pressure by, any government, even if that government happens to rule a country with the world’s largest population.
The Church, in a certain sense, cannot but be a Church of activists. Its theology, of its very nature, breeds all sorts of activists such as environmental, political and economic as well as those militating in favour of social justice. A few became world famous: Cardinal Helder Camara, Dorothy Day, Cesar Chaves, the Berrigan Brothers and Bishop Rolando Álvarez of Nicaragua. Some pay with their lives. Archbishop Romero and the Jesuit martyrs of El Salvador are among the more well-known. But equally important are those whom one can call ‘the activists next door’, that is the many activists who, every day, even in small ways, strive for a just world.
Pope Francis is well-known for his daring advocacy of social justice, his support of the rights of refugees, the fight for worker rights, his efforts at peace making, his promotion of economic justice and his environmental activism. His activism brought him the ire of, for example, the American right wing, who call him communist. His theological message and his many symbolic actions should underpin all Catholic-inspired activism.
Is Catholic activism strong among Church organisations in Malta?
The Young Christian Workers were very strong a couple of decades (or more) ago. Today, only a small group carry Cardijn’s torch. From time to time, they do manage to punch above their weight. The Jesuit Refugee Service is probably the advocacy/activist organisation par excellence of the Church in Malta.
Two organisations which should be at the forefront of the activist advocacy movement should be the Inter-diocesan Environment Commission and the Justice and Peace Commission. Unfortunately, they are not- Fr Joe Borg
Two organisations which should be at the forefront of the activist advocacy movement should be the Inter-diocesan Environment Commission and the Justice and Peace Commission. Unfortunately, they are not. The work they do, important as it may be, has not made them household names, like Graffitti, Repubblika, Din l-Art Ħelwa, Gay Rights Movement. It is only when such commissions capture people’s imagination and inspire them that they can truly fulfil their mission in an effective and credible way.
These Church commissions have not left their mark in activism in favour of the environment, good governance, justice and the socio-economic field or in the struggle against corruption. All these areas cry for involvement underpinned by the principles of Catholic social teaching.
It came as a surprise to me, for example, that these commissions were not among the organisers of the pro-environment protest Xebbajtuna. Had they been, they would have shown that the Church in Malta is the church of Laudato Si. Such a participation would perhaps have helped them to establish themselves as leaders in the field.
Inspired by the presence of the Nuncio at the activity of the American Embassy, I suggest that the Church, through symbolic actions, statements and concrete initiatives should make its presence felt in the activist/advocacy movement present in civil society. The Environment Commission and the Justice and Peace Commission should be at the vanguard of the Church in aiding, inspiring, helping and encouraging this movement. To execute this duty thoroughly they need to garner the support of the people as well as the respect of their peers.
Why not organise an annual award giving ceremony where the work of activists engaged in different kinds of activism within Church and non-Church organisations would be rewarded? That should be a sterling occasion to show that the Church is not only aspiring to be a Church of activists but also a Church for activists.
This activity would be a wake-up call against the sloth of armchair critics but, more importantly, a reveille for the dire need of activism. In October 2021, Pope Francis called the activists participating in the IV World Meeting of Popular Movements “Dear Social Poets” because they have “the ability and the courage to create hope where there appears to be only waste and exclusion. Poetry means creativity and you create hope”.
We need a lot of hope in Malta, so we need a host of activists.