Church commission reserves comment on St John's development

Sergio Galea Vincenti

Aug 23rd 2008, 11:19

I believe a point should be clarified: According to the Heritage Act and also the Archdioceses of Malta's own website, it is the Commission for Catholic Cultural Patrimony of the Episcopal Conference which is responsible for - quoting directly from the said website " in safeguarding and promoting the cultural patrimony of the Catholic Church in these Islands. The Commission is also responsible for serving and executing the competencies established in the Laws of Malta with regards to the cultural patrimony of the Catholic Church in Malta."

According to previous reports this Commission has expressed itself negatively to the St. John's Co-Cathedral project as applied for by the Foundation with MEPA.

John Musumeci

Aug 23rd 2008, 01:02

@C. Aquilina

Do you know what corruption is?!

I applaud the Commission for its prudent stance. I am sure that it will act in the best interests of the nation as it always did in the past. Its independence and impartiality cannot be put in question. Period.

Joz Camilleri

Aug 23rd 2008, 00:27

How very convenient, isn't it, to keep everything so hushed up... that's so typical of hierarchical societies, organizations and clans!!

Now why am I not surprised??? Oh, but of course, we are lesser mortals with no brains and need to be directed and controlled socially. I get shivers down my spine... looks like we have catapulted back some 800 years or so to the times of Summoners, Pardoners and Inquisitors...

Antoine Vella

Aug 23rd 2008, 00:17

This is not the only issue about which the Environment Commission of the Church has remained silent. What about the Nadur cemetery which is going to be an ecological disaster? The Environment Commission has never even referred to it.

The Church needs people with the honesty (and the guts) to speak out on such matters.


I

John Schembri

Aug 22nd 2008, 23:33

@D>Vella :
There are two cases about who owns St John's .; one was during the British rule when government workers were sent to do some work at St John's and the archbishop of those times proceeded a case against the government and won the case ( I think it was in the late 1800's).
The other case was in the 80's when AST then minister of culture , tried to lay his hands on the Cathedral and after a public outcry against his claim he declared that St John's is "Tal-Maltin". I clearly recall the historian Chev. Guze' Galea stating on his "Radju Malta" program that La Cassier left the conventual church which he built out of his pocket to the church if the order is no longer in Malta.
The Jesuits Church , Ta' Liesse , St James & tal- Vitorja are Government property,St John's is the exception, I believe.
Another case was when Mintoff wanted Caravaggio's beheading of St John to be restored in Italy and Archbishop Gonzi "objected" to Mintoff's methods (or something to that effect)

James A. Tyrrell

Aug 22nd 2008, 22:49

Didn't Times of Malta consider asking commission chairman Victor Axiak why they were not making their decision public? Don't the people have a right to know considering that St. John's Co-Catherdral belongs to them? What exactly is the point about making a comment regarding not making a comment? Only in Malta!

Sandro Agius

Aug 22nd 2008, 22:15

Well I cannot understand why so amazement...did you do so for the political parties...you are Christians as the bishop is, I presume....therefore when you talk the Church talks...a commission may has its reserves and is waiting for further comfirms...maybe its something of diplomatic level for as you know the Co-Cathedral is not under the Catholic Church and therefore cannot decide alone...could it be they are waiting the Holy See Comments

C.Aquilina

Aug 22nd 2008, 21:50

Secrecy is the mother of corruption.
Hiding one's intentions to the puplic is dictatorship.
I don't even want to think that we may going back to old times " mhux fl-interess nazzjonali, intom ma jinteressakomx, intom ma tifhmux, intom oqogħdu hemm u għamlu kif ngħidulkom aħna."
St John Concathidral is our national heritage property of all the Maltese people.
Every maltese citizin has responsability to speak and the right to be informed correctly of every detail regarding national interest at the proper and erlest time.
I don't even want to thing that the Maltese church is so ridiculuos to hide from her own people and commissions.
My experiance always was that commissions are set up to study, investigate and give their opinion to who is responsible.
So, is the curia who expresses the church's opinion, or the commission?
Thank God that the maltese are growing a sense of great national interest in our heritage.

D>Vella

Aug 22nd 2008, 20:10

There is a difference between' leaving' and being' thrown out ' Mr Camilleri as the Knight's in fact were. All property belonging to the Knight's was inherited by the Government and therefore to the people. If what you say is right,and I doubt it,there is a case for proceeding to Court of Law.

s.bugeja

Aug 22nd 2008, 20:06

The Environment Commission of the Archdiocese of Malta has discussed and TAKEN A POSITION on the controversial proposed extension to St John’s Co-Cathedral museum but it will not be making it public for now!!! the question is WHY NOT? What is the church waiting for? that's two questions actually!

J.Pace

Aug 22nd 2008, 20:01

Perhaps the Church has caught the building bug. Apart from the proposed destruction of St.Johns Cathedral the Church has applied to Mepa, and by this time probably got permission for an Eight storey Convent block with a presumed Convent penthouse in Tigne, next door to 'In Nazarenu.

M Gauci

Aug 22nd 2008, 19:26

Why did they bother telling us that they have decided?

Is this not treating the general popultaion like kids?

Anyways what they have decided is immaterial, its what MEPA decides that counts.

Iris Azzopardi

Aug 22nd 2008, 19:18

The Archbishop appoints half the members on the Foundation's board. Presumably, these official Church representatives have already taken a position in favour of the extention.

Franco Farrugia

Aug 22nd 2008, 19:10

And when will the Commission speak out? When it is too late?

It certainly has not bided its time to speak against the divorce debate, that's for sure.

Well, I think it is shameful that we have FAA and other voluntary groups as well as individuals such as myself, continually sticking our necks out and instead of being thanked for standing up for what is comon heritage, we get the garbage from those who do not like our opposition, and putting ourselves and our futures at risk; and then the Church in Malta, with the Archbishop and the Metropolitan Chapter, as well as this ... Commission, deciding to sit on the fence, play it cool and merely observe proceedings!
Is this what Fr Edgar Vella, who I used to know a long time ago, stands for?

What sense does it take to 'take a position' and then not make it public? Why this secrecy? By not making your position public, it's as if you have not taken a position at all.

If this is not shameful, I don't know what is.

I repeat: The Archbishop has a definite say in the matter as much as the Govt does.

J. Schembri

Aug 22nd 2008, 19:07

That is what we call prudence.
BTW : Saint John's Co Cathedral is the property of the Chorch, Grand Master La Cassier left his "gioia" to the Church if the knights leave the island.

john camilleri

Aug 22nd 2008, 18:53

Could not the Foundation invest the building proposed expences in buying and rehabilitating some old block of building in Valletta for extending the Museum?

Andrew Gatt

Aug 22nd 2008, 18:52

Harr harr haaaarrrrr......and there was a letter just a couple of days ago about Religion and Politics!

The Curia hath spoken - and the word from on high is......"Mhux fl-interess nazzjonali!!!!"

Jeremy J Camilleri

Aug 22nd 2008, 18:38

What is this? Secrecy from the church....

Whats new?

Martin Galea De Giovanni

Aug 22nd 2008, 18:35

Perhaps, if we pray hard enough we'll be enlightened....