In a Christmas homily excerpted in the Vatican newspaper, a Maltese
prelate warned Catholics against a “classist” mentality and the “trap of
Puritanism.”“The Jews preferred not to be contaminated by the impurities of others,” Bishop Mario Grech of Gozo preached. “To keep the Law, the Jews cast out those who were unclean.”
“Not only the Jews have had this attitude of marginalizing the unclean,” he continued. “It applies even within the Church,” at Mass, when “we judge who is pure and who is impure, or who is in an impure state, who is a sinner and who is holy.”
Christ, the prelate added, chose to be born in a filthy, unclean stable. “This Christmas I would like to see the entire ecclesial community convinced that we are not a class of saints or pure persons,” he said, as he called upon those whose family situations are “not perfect” to draw closer to Christ.
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