Illum, il‑Ħadd 7 ta’ Ġunju 2020, Solennità tat‑Trinità Qaddisa, l‑Arċisqof Charles Jude Scicluna nieda d‑dokument ‘Knisja Waħda, Vjaġġ Wieħed’ – dokument li jagħti l‑viżjoni tal‑Knisja f’Malta u l‑proċess ta’ tiġdid tal‑Knisja ispirat minn din il‑viżjoni. Dan id‑dokument jindika wkoll impenji partikulari fl‑Arċidjoċesi ta’ Malta għall‑erba’ snin li ġejjin fid‑dawl ta’ dan il‑proċess ta’ tiġdid.
It‑tnedija ta’ dan id‑dokument saret waqt Quddiesa li l‑Arċisqof Charles Scicluna ċċelebra fil‑Grotta ta’ San Pawl, ir‑Rabat, u li ġiet imxandra fuq il‑mezzi ta’ komunikazzjoni. Id‑dokument huwa aċċessibbli minn vjagg.knisja.mt.
L‑Arċisqof, filwaqt li rringrazzja lil dawk kollha fil‑Knisja u fis‑soċjetà li taw is‑sehem tagħhom fit‑tfassil ta’ dan id‑dokument, qal li dan ġie wkoll rivedut f’dawn l‑aħħar xhur fid‑dawl tal‑esperjenza li għexna waqt l‑imxija tal‑pandemija COVID‑19.
‘Knisja Waħda, Vjaġġ Wieħed’ jagħti viżjoni li għandha rabta partikulari mal‑viżjoni tal‑Papa Franġisku, b’mod partikulari mal‑Eżortazzjoni Appostolika tiegħu Evangelii gaudium (Il‑Ferħ tal‑Evanġelju), u mal‑mod kif il‑Papa fit‑tagħlim tiegħu jfisser dan il‑proċess ta’ tiġdid fil‑kuntest ta’ Knisja lokali. Id‑dokument, li huwa ispirat mir‑rakkont tad‑dixxipli ta’ Emmaws mill‑Evanġelju ta’ San Luqa, jelenka erba’ prijoritajiet ewlenin għall‑Knisja: li tisma’, li tilqa’, li takkumpanja u li toħrog bla biża’ biex ixxandar l‑Bxara t‑Tajba.
L‑Arċisqof Scicluna sejjaħ lill‑entitajiet kollha tal‑Knisja f’Malta – parroċċi, kongregazzjonijiet reliġjużi, skejjel, movimenti tal‑lajċi, familji u oħrajn – biex ikunu parti minn dan it‑tiġdid tal‑Knisja. Qal li t‑tiġdid li qed ikun propost mhux xi ħaġa li se tkun “imposta” minn fuq għal isfel, imma se jkun tassew proċess ħaj li jikber b’mod organiku fl‑aspetti kollha tal‑Knisja f’Malta. L‑Arċisqof qal li “b’dan il‑mod, imdawlin u mmexxijin mill‑Ispirtu ta’ Alla, bħala poplu pellegrin inkomplu niktbu l‑istorja tal‑Knisja f’pajjiżna li bdiet bil‑miġja fostna ta’ Missierna San Pawl, li lejh nibqgħu dejjem grati. Nitolbuh jidħol għalina, għall‑Knisja f’Malta u għal pajjiżna.”
Speech by Archbishop Charles Jude Scicluna
It is with great joy that today, on the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity, I am formally launching the document ‘One Church, One Journey’. The document is a hopeful vision for the Church in Malta and initiates a process of renewal inspired by this hope.
I am grateful to all those who contributed to bringing this document to life, which has also been revised after the sudden changes that we all experienced during these past months of the COVID-19 pandemic.
‘One Church, One Journey’ offers a vision of becoming “church” rooted in that promoted by Pope Francis, in particular in his Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii gaudium. Its presentation of a process of renewal is a local interpretation of the Pope’s own desire for renewal for the universal Church. The document also indicates the specific processes that the Archdiocese is committing itself to start and implement in these next four years.
I call upon all entities of the Church in Malta – parishes, religious congregations, schools, lay movements, families and all others – to be imbued by the spirit of this vision and to journey together as one Church on this process of discernment. The renewal that we all hope for is not something being “imposed from above”, but will flourish organically, in all sectors of the Church, as it grows and unfolds in its many aspects.
As from today, this document is accessible online on the website of the Archdiocese of Malta www.church.mt. I invite you all to read through it and to reflect on it personally and in your small communities so we all participate in and contribute to this process of ecclesial renewal. Enlightened and led by the one Spirit, as one Pilgrim People, we will continue writing the story of our local Church that began when St Paul the Apostle himself, was welcomed on our shores. Always grateful that he brought to us the Word of salvation, we ask for his intercession to continue protecting our country and the Church in Malta.
Today, June 7 2020, St. Paul’s Grotto, Rabat, Malta
Click here for the homily by the Archbishop during Mass on the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity