Why not the Gozo cathedral?

At the moment preparations are going on, locally and abroad, for the International Congress of Priests which the Congregation for the Clergy will be holding in Malta and Gozo between October 18-22, that is within two months.

Going through the programme of activities sent to priests, one sees that liturgical activities will be held at St John's co-cathedral (twice), at Mdina cathedral (once), at Mosta's main church, called cathedral of the Assumption (once), at Rabat's Grotto of St Paul the Apostle (once), even at the Mediterranean Conference Centre (thrice).

Apart from numerous bishops and priests, we shall be having with us something like 13 cardinals. The Mediterranean Conference Centre will also be the place for six conferences, all with a religious theme and given by clergymen presumably very good at eloquence and with the interests of the clergy's sanctity at heart. Most certainly, a unique occasion!

Obviously, thank God for all this spiritual abundance of invitations and stimulations to holiness - the singular aim of the congress and something very much needed in these particular times of ours! The specific title/message of the congress itself is Sacerdoti Forgiatori di Santi per il Nuovo Millennio (loosely translated, Priests Moulders of Saints for the New Millennium).

Evidently Gozo was not to be left out. It is a diocese like Malta. So, most naturally and justly, it had to be included in the programme of activities. That is good enough! Religious life in Gozo should not be less flourishing than it is in Malta. The day indicated for activities in Gozo is Friday, October 22.

What has bewildered me is the fact that it is being said that the Gozo Cathedral has been completely left out of the picture of the liturgical activities. The original programme only spoke of "embarkation" from Malta to Gozo and vice versa. In an accompanying letter over the signature of the Bishop of Gozo dated July 15, 2004, we were told that the programme for Gozo was as yet provizorju (provisional) and that information would be given later on.

Apparently this same programme is no longer provizorju. In fact, it is now being said that the liturgical activity reserved for Gozo will not be held at the local cathedral. Why this should happen is most difficult to imagine. Juridically, as in Malta and in every Catholic diocese worldwide, the main church is the cathedral. In fact, it is known as the head and mother of all other churches in the diocese.

In our case, very valid historical and social considerations also militate in its favour. I believe the congregation responsible has been in contact with the local Curia for the preparation of the programme!

When news of this "gaffe" went round, priests hinted at that malady known by the name of "parochialism", an ailment which could harass all categories of ecclesiastics and laity. If unbelievably this is the case, it hardly augurs well for the main aim of the congress, the sanctity of cardinals, bishops, priests and, of course, the laity. It will definitely leave a most sour taste not merely on local priests and laymen but also on all those coming to know of it, particularly on all those having the religious welfare of society truly at heart.