The Catholic Church and evangelisation

Bondi + (TVM, January 11) was entirely dedicated to the good works being done by the Seychell family, leaving all, and going with their two children for 25 months on the Doulos to evangelise for Christ.

Good people, no doubt, but I am not impressed! James was probably doing a lot of good in his job here in Malta witnessing for Jesus. This family is now ready to sacrifice much to go in various places in the world to proclaim that Jesus is our Lord. But, I ask, did they need to leave our Church to do this? This family now belongs to the Evangelical Church.

Last month I was watching Omnibus on Channel 22, which featured the leader of this Evangelical church which has its headquarters in Floriana. The people meet every Sunday at 10 a.m. and this leader said he has to ask people to leave round about 1 p.m. because they never tire of being there and reading the Bible together, unlike many people in our church on Sundays, where some people complain if a priest's sermon happens to go beyond a certain time.

The people in this Evangelical Church have the Bible read to them. But when they read the Bible, do they read it all? The Old and New Testament? Do they read that Jesus Christ founded his Church on the apostle Peter when he said: "Thou art Peter and upon this rock I will build My Church"?

When Jesus breathed on the Apostles, he said: "Peace be with you, receive the Holy Spirit, If you forgive the sins of any they are forgiven, if you retain the sins of any they are retained..." (John, 20). John's gospel says it all. So our priests, the descendants of the Church started by Peter, have power given them by God to forgive sins, not as Evangelicals say, "We do not need the Church, the priests, the bishops and the Pope..."

The Doulos has been coming to Malta for a long time and Ray Lentch used to pester me in the Seventies and hint against Confession and the Church. Instead of falling prey to his words, I joined the Charismatic Renewal movement and grew in my faith within my own Roman Catholic Church.

This is what Maltese Catholics, the ones who always say they were baptised far too young, and not with their consent, should do. Not like so many Catholics who joined Jehovah's Witnesses because they too listen to the Bible as others read it to them. James Seychell's mother left the Church to join the Evangelicals when she was pestered by Ray Lentch and brought up her family outside the Catholic Church.

Now the Pope urges us all to receive Jesus as often as we can through the Sacrament of the Eucharist, and entreats all to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation every time we weaklings transgress. The sacraments as administered by our many priests, God bless them, help us to witness for Jesus Christ and lead better lives.

Our TV producers would do better to give prominence to our many missionaries who leave the comfort of their homes and country to go and evangelise in very poor mission lands, riddled by sickness, lacking water etc. The money spent by the Seychell family to live on the boat (their adventure!) would have built a hut/church in mission lands. The missionaries feed, educate, treat their sicknesses, inspire vocations so that the church of Christ will grow. They sow the seeds.

When the Doulos was in Malta recently, there was a man who sat all day reading the Bible at the doorway to Valletta. Is that enough? Is stopping on their voyage for a week here and a week there enough? Many Catholics within the Charismatic Renewal movement, who go and evangelise for Jesus in their outreaches, through the Neo-Catechumenal movement or Taizé or Focolarini, sacrifice much to proclaim the Lord but they stay within our Church.

Divisions are not healthy, and Jesus, again in John's gospel, said: "As I am one with the Father so may we all be one". Receiving Jesus through the Holy Eucharist is our spiritual food and may we never belittle the many graces we receive through this Sacrament.