Archbishop Paul Cremona has said that he will only leave his position if told to do so by the Pope. ‘It is as simple as that,’ he said. But is this an act of obedience as he calls it or defying calls for change?

Fr Joe Borg. Photo: Matthew Mirabelli

Some priests were left questioning whether the Church’s problems would be addressed after Archbishop Paul Cremona ruled out stepping down amid accusations of a leadership crisis.

Several clergymen, including parish priests, speaking on condition of anonymity, said they were not surprised by Mgr Cremona’s statement on Friday that he will only leave his position “in obedience”.

While pointing out that obedience was very much in the Archbishop’s character, they asked whether he would drive through the changes that are needed.

The debate on Mgr Cremona’s stewardship was sparked by columnist Fr Joe Borg, who spoke of a demoralised Church similar to the state the Nationalist Party was in after losing the 1976 election – when its leader had refused to leave of his own volition.

Fr Borg’s opinion piece in The Sunday Times of Malta came hot on the heels of an outburst by the former Mġarr parish priest Fr Emanuel Camilleri, who lashed out at the Curia’s lack of leadership in an interview with The Malta Independent after he was removed.

A parish priest yesterday said the public debate was never about Mgr Cremona’s personality.

“Everybody recognises what a good man he is but the Church needs to get its act together and start solving the many problems coming from lack of direction.”

But while he harboured hope that the public outcry would lead to a serious internal discussion on the way forward, others were less optimistic the Church authorities would start to address the problems.

A senior Church official said criticism was interpreted by the old guard as an attempt to persecute the Archbishop.

“At the end of the day nothing will change and come October all of them will still be in place,” the official said in a dejected tone.

Fr Borg’s remarks stoked controversy and fuelled speculation that Mgr Cremona’s health was hindering him in carrying out his duties.

Everybody recognises what a good man he is but the Church needs to get its act together and start solving the many problems

The Archbishop’s health problems started two years ago when he was indisposed for a period of time but the Curia never officially disclosed his condition.

A young parish priest, who was not surprised by Mgr Cremona’s reluctance to leave, said the only option, short of a sudden change in direction, was for the Vatican to step in.

“It is only the Pope who can remove him but it is unlikely this will happen because this is not a question of wrongdoing,” he said.

Sources told this newspaper that various clergymen, including parish priests, had raised concerns with the Apostolic Nuncio, the Pope’s representative in Malta, hoping that the current state of affairs was brought to light in Rome.

Questions sent to Apostolic Nuncio Aldo Cavalli remained unanswered at the time of writing.

According to Canon Law, bishops must tender their resignation when they reach 75 but there is a proviso that calls on bishops to resign from office for reasons of ill health.

However, a veteran priest was less comfortable with the direction of the debate that focused on the Archbishop’s tenure.

Irrespective of whether the Archbishop resigns or not he still has the authority to take decisions that matter, he said.

“It is this authority that many priests want the Archbishop to exert so that things can start to change.”

Few critics have come forward by name but those who did agreed that leadership was lacking.

Last week, theologian Fr Renè Camilleri, who heads the Church’s secretariat for catechesis, told this newspaper that unrest within Church circles had long been coming. The Church could not remain in denial, he added.

“The feeling that there is a leadership vacuum is widespread and very real,” Fr Camilleri had said.

His comments were reflected by Fr Joe Inguanez, head of the Church’s research institute Discern, who told Malta Today that the Maltese Church was at a standstill and its institutional leadership needed a shakeup.

However, others like former Church environment commission head Victor Axiak hit out at Mgr Cremona’s critics, accusing them of wanting to pull the Church closer to the PN.

Mgr Cremona’s reaction to the mounting criticism came on Friday after presiding over a prayer vigil in Mellieħa. During the vigil he urged those suffering for the Church with him not to be disheartened and to hold firm.

But the Archbishop also thanked priests and parish priests for their work in the community.

He acknowledged the suffering they were having to endure as a result of “unfavourable and difficult conditions”.

How bishops resign

“A diocesan bishop who has completed the 75th year of age is requested to present his resignation from office to the Supreme Pontiff, who will make provision after he has examined all the circumstances.

“A diocesan bishop who has become less able to fulfil his office because of ill health or some other grave cause is earnestly requested to present his resignation from office.”

Source: Canon Law

The problems in Malta

Weak central management

Critics of the Church’s current predicament argue that the Curia’s management structures need a radical overhaul.

The last time this happened was in the 1980s, and apart from a heavy bureaucratic set-up, critics insist there are too many people who have occupied the same posts for too long.

Priests also complain that the internal structures that allow for debate on many of the issues that arise – pastoral, moral and administrative – have not been functioning as they should.

They also point out that the Archbishop presides over most of these bodies and more often than not his nominees are the same people in different hats.

Parish management lacks coordination

Parishes have no standardised way of managing and reporting on finances.

Some do not even have proper accounts, while each parish is responsible for setting its own spending priorities.

The difficulty with this, according to some critics, is that from a pastoral perspective, money spent could be skewed towards feasts rather than strengthening structures for catechism.

However, there are issues parish priests face on a day-to-day basis within their community for which they would like to have the Curia’s direction and backing.

The Mġarr case highlighted the problem, and the subsequent fallout showed how it was mishandled by the Curia.

Lack of pastoral direction

Parish priests, especially the younger generation, have complained they lacked pastoral guidance on how to deal with sensitive issues such as cohabiting couples who receive the sacraments, the baptism of children raised by gay couples and divorced people who remarried.

Lack of pastoral direction, they feel, is leading to situations where different priests take different decisions, which can create confusion among the faithful.

This concern ties up with the Church’s seeming inability to find its voice and carve out its space in an increasingly secular society without being judgemental but at the same time not irrelevant.

ksansone@timesofmalta.com