"
The crisis of faith, the apathy of religious practice, especially in the post-pandemic period, and the indifference of so many young people to the presence of God are not issues that we need to sugarcoat
," said the pope during a prayer at the national shrine of Ta'Pinu, on the island of Gozo (north), in front of some 3000 faithful.
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Francis, visibly diminished and with knee pain, arrived Saturday morning for a two-day visit to Malta, a country of 500,000 people facing a noticeable drop in Christianization and a vocations crisis.
"
We must ensure that religious practices are not reduced to the repetition of a repertoire from the past, but express a living, open faith, spreading the joy of the Gospel
", added the Argentine pontiff, considering that “
it is not enough to have a faith made up of transmitted customs, solemn celebrations, beautiful popular festivities, strong and moving moments
”.
"
Sometimes, indeed, the scaffolding may be religious, but behind this garment, the faith grows old
," he warned, believing that "
the elegant wardrobe of religious ornaments does not always correspond to a living faith animated by the dynamism of evangelization
".
According to the latest survey of Sunday Mass attendance by the Maltese Catholic Church, attendance remains high but is steadily declining: 37% of Catholics attended the service that year, down from more than 50% in 2005.
“
Do not be afraid to engage (…) on new, even risky, paths of evangelization
,” the pope continued, calling on the Catholic Church not to be “
a closed circle.
»
Arrived by boat in Gozo, one of the three inhabited islands of Malta, the Holy Father went up in "
popemobile
" towards the sanctuary, the main place of pilgrimage of the country, where he was welcomed in a warm atmosphere.
“
The number of practitioners is decreasing but this is the case in all countries.
I think it's not just about numbers but also about the quality of faith
,” Jesmond Scerri, scout leader from Gozo, told AFP as he accompanied a group of 40 young people.
At the end of this prayer, Francis was to return to the island of Malta to spend the night at the apostolic nunciature.