Anton Teuma, the welder bishop, gave his first interview since his consecration as ninth head of the Gozo Diocese. He tells Keith Micallef that the Church must do better in the way it relates to others.

From welder to a bishop. This is the first thing which many people heard upon the announcement you had been named the ninth bishop of Gozo. What can you tell us about your journey?

Part of our course at the seminary consists of spending a year abroad which in my case was in Australia where I worked in a factory. During my stay I took the opportunity to take courses for welders and for electricians as I like manual work. I was brought up in a family where my father used to do all sorts of jobs, be it woodwork, electrical maintenance or plumbing.

Do you still do these kinds of jobs?

Probably all of the tools I had at the John Paul II Institute for the Family in Rabat, where I am rector, are missing me already! I used to dedicate Saturday mornings to any manual jobs or maintenance work which needed to be done from time to time.

The last job I did was when the Apostolic Nuncio had approached me on the possibility of being nominated bishop. Upon my return to Gozo I spent the day painting in the chapel while reflecting on my future with the image of the Sacred Heart in the background.

In his homily during the consecration ceremony, your predecessor Mgr Mario Grech made an appeal for the Church to reach out to people rather than be confined to the sacristy, as he put it. What kind of direction do you want to give to the diocese?

We first need to analyse our current position. It seems less people are feeling the need to have a closer relationship with God or to live according to Christian values. On the other hand, I believe people are increasingly feeling the need for a spiritual dimension in their life. This is my interpretation of the spread of drug abuse.

In what sense?

People having this addiction are symptomatic of the fact they fell into a vicious circle in their quest to find a purpose in their lives.

The things they are looking for are fundamental as they are probably seeking intimacy, a relationship and peace in their heart, which after all is a spiritual need for God. Though practising Catholics are in decline, I feel that the need for spirituality is becoming stronger than ever.

How are you planning to bring back the proverbial ‘lost sheep’ within the flock?

This can be achieved through a strong and simple relationship with the people and even among members of the clergy themselves.

One of the biggest issues in our educational system to which we might not be giving the necessary attention is the way in which young people are interacting. If most of them are experiencing difficult circumstances at home they are reluctant to trust others, which in turn makes it difficult to build strong and lasting relationships.

One of the issues which frequently crops up is that Catholic values clash with the modern lifestyle on issues like divorce. On the one hand the Church is expected to show empathy but at the same time it must do so within the strict parameters of its core beliefs. How do you plan to reconcile such situations?

We have to distinguish between what one desires and what one is actually doing. Deep down, everybody aspires to live the values of the gospel, which epitomise the best way to live as a proper human being.

How can the Church engage with the people in order to foster the values of the gospel in everyday life?

Unfortunately, the Church at times has failed in this respect. We thought that by resorting to certain approaches based on power or being constantly the centre of attraction, we might reach this objective. However, such an approach fails when used to teach the values of the gospel. We have been shooting ourselves in the foot and killing ourselves slowly.

The gospel is the manner in which we relate with others. Mother Teresa of Calcutta once said if you and I change, it is already a start as part of the world has changed. We have to relate in a more genuine manner to others while striving to be ourselves rather than hide our true identity behind a mask. The Church must do more on this aspect. 

You have worked closely with families and have a first-hand account of the reality on the ground. What do you deem to be the biggest threat they are facing at the moment?

We are still living the post-war economic model whereby for a family to be successful it must have money while the children achieve success in their studies and career. However, I am afraid this is being achieved at the cost of having weaker relationships.

People are increasingly feeling the need for a spiritual dimension in their life. This is my interpretation of drug abuse

At times I come across cases involving couples who are splitting up even though they say they had never clashed. This is testament to the fact that in reality they never understood each other deeply enough or comprehended the true meaning of marriage.

We are prioritising the economic model to the detriment of the relationship itself. There is the misconception that getting married will automatically seal a relationship, but trouble starts brewing when the parties start taking each other for granted.

Gozitans have strong views on the fact they have been a separate diocese from Malta since 1864. Do you believe this still makes sense? Is it time to merge Malta and Gozo into one archdiocese given they are much smaller when compared to the rest of the world?

I would not like this to happen. Once, when I was the rector of the Gozo seminary, the Apostolic Nuncio of the time, Luigi Gatti, had floated the idea of merging the two seminaries of Malta and Gozo, to which I had strongly objected. The same applies in the case of the diocese.

Given that our ancestors had decided that the best way forward was to have our own, I would only drop my objection if such a request was to be made from the higher echelons of the Church, though it would still be with a heavy heart.

This is not only about a structure. Mergers pose the risk of creating peripheries, while splitting is the complete opposite as one is closer to the centre. From a theological perspective, there would be the risk of having the faithful feel detached.

As Gozo bishop, are you ready to pronounce yourself on issues which are not essentially related to religion but which are still of relevance, like the environment?

The Church has a right to voice its opinion and in certain situations, such as on new laws, it is obliged to persuade the government to make changes. However, it should not expect to act like it was running the country. Similarly, the state cannot interfere in what are strictly internal Church matters, unless there is some kind of breach.

'The gospel is the manner in which we relate with others.' Photo: Matthew Mirabelli

Are you worried that the state of the environment in Gozo is being threatened by excessive development?

I am worried as at times we are not considering the wider implications and focusing primarily on our pockets. Economic wealth is important, but at the same time we are spending heavily on medicines to treat respiratory problems.

More often than not, economic considerations only focus on the immediate term. The gospel looks at such issues from a much wider perspective and consequently the Church is bound to voice its concerns.

Does the Church have a position on the proposed Malta-Gozo tunnel?

It has both the right and duty to pronounce itself. However, it cannot mount a campaign as if it were a trade union but through the teachings of the gospel based on debate, persuasion, respect and love.

What message would you like to deliver at this moment in time when we facing a pandemic?

Many people still have the values of the gospel at heart. I urge the faithful to believe and give a chance to God even though I acknowledge that some might have been put off by the attitude shown by certain members of the clergy, perhaps even myself. As St Paul says, ‘Give God a chance to love you’.