Environment come lately

I have not yet read the opinion paper of the Environment Commission of the Archdiocese of Malta. The following remarks are mostly based on the report and its attendant summary carried in The Times of October 2.

The areas touched upon - Land, Biodiversity and Water - are certainly important. But particularly on Land, or more accurately on Land Use, on Hunting and on Water, the paper is platitudinous and late. Environmental NGOs of all stripes and colours have been hammering on these themes for the past 15 years, often in the face of relentless opposition from some of the present members of the Commission and generally with little support from the Church. Of course, better late than never; after all there is more rejoicing in heaven over one repentant sinner than over 99 just men. Not that the reported (fatuous) remark by commission vice-chairman Paul Pace - that environmental issues were no longer matters being promoted by tree-huggers and hippies - carried any signs of "repentance". Rather it sums up the johnny-come-lately complacency of some commission members. And complacency tinged with ignorance - the paper being issued to mark the feast of Francis of Assisi, the most notorious hippie of his time.

The commission chairman, Victor Axiak, has once again thought fit to remind us of the "ecclesiastical turf" strait jacket worn by the commission. I am amazed that anyone can lay claim to much seriousness in environmental matters with this insistence on not entering "directly in matters affecting the Gozo diocese", as if the eco-system of the self-proclaimed island region of Gozo is light years removed from that of the island republic of Malta. And then, without any consultation with the faithful of the Archdiocese of Malta, their NGOs and their band clubs, have the temerity to invite the Bishop of Gozo to celebrate Mass on Church Environment Day on "our" turf. If nothing else that will increase Mgr Mario Grech's carbon footprint for the month of October. Not a very environmentally-friendly thing to do.