This week-end, we assisted here, in Malta, a dialogue between respected Leaders.

The President of Malta, Dr George Abela, described the situation facing our Catholic rooted country as one of “conflict (like all the rest of Europe and the western world) between Christianity on one side and laicism or secularism on the other”.

The Archbishop, Mons. Paul Cremona OP, also described the Church in Malta as “a believing community in a secular society” looking at “a model of the Church as it is envisaged in the Acts of the Apostles”.

The Bishop of Gozo, Mons. Mario Grech, at the meeting with the youths, quoted the theme of the next World Youth Day to ask the Pope with a passionate cry: “Good Teacher, tell us what we need to do”!

Pope Benedict XVI responded: “in front of the unknown be a sign of great confidence in God”. In all the five speeches on the Island, He enlisted the great blessings, gifts and values bestowed on the people of our tiny but very strategic country, member state of the European Union and bridging to the African Continent. Therefore, He launched in a very clear way a double “challenge” to us: a) “to let the Word to challenge your ways of thinking”; b) “to take the challenge of new eevangelization” and share what we have received.

(We are opening an online discussion on this dialogue. Please feel free to share your views on this subject by going to discussion area.)