Whither, whither St John's?

The public's reaction to the plans by the St John's Co-Cathedral Foundation to expand its museum has been almost universally negative. Mepa has registered over 1,060 objectors to the project representing a cross section of Maltese society with an over-representation of our intelligentsia.

Not to be ignored are the strong negative reactions of a number of NGOs most notably Flimkien Għal Ambjent Aħjar and the almost daily letters in the press, nearly all of which have given the project the thumbs down.

Especially significant are the decisive rejections of the project by Mepa's very own Heritage Commission and the Catholic Cultural Heritage Commission, which, by law, must be consulted by Mepa whenever an application is received concerning a "Catholic cultural property".

It is now also widely known that even the Cathedral Chapter, which comprises the monsignors who daily serve in the co-cathedral and three of whom form part of the foundation' council, has voted, with one sole abstention, against the project.

It is fair to state that not one single voice in favour of the project has been raised. At most, Din l-Art Ħelwa and a handful of individuals have stated that, before taking a stand, they preferred to wait for the outcome of the environmental impact assessment!

In spite of the chorus of rejections, the foundation seems to be intent on proceeding with the project.

From what has transpired, it seems that the two projects proposed to Mepa have now been merged. The project outlined in application PA 0167/08 "to extend St John's Museum by demolishing post-war structures and constructing a new three-storey structure over existing courtyard, providing access to all and other miscellaneous alterations" has been dropped. However, the foundation's preferred project, application PA0168/08 "to extend St John's Co-Cathedral Museum by excavating chambers below St John Street, connecting same to existing underground chambers and to construct vertical lift through all floors and other alterations", stands.

This project now incorporates the glassing-over of the churchyard where the slain of the Great Siege are buried, to create what the co-cathedral's architect has described as a "magnificent atrium" housing the visitors' centre, comprising a bookshop, ticketing booths, cafeteria, etc. and one 24-person lift to ferry groups down to underground galleries leading to and from the viewing chambers and another similar-sized lift to ferry them up to an exit point in St Lucia Street - two lifts in all. Two 24-person lifts have a cumulative footprint of at least 20 square metres. On certain days of the week these lifts will have to cope with about 4,000 visitors!

As things now stand, the underground excavations cannot proceed without greatly disturbing the graveyard, desecrating it in the process. In this context, it is good to recall that the Archbishop, in his homily during the annual concelebrated solemn requiem high Mass held on September 7 for the repose of the souls of the slain of the Great Siege of 1565, described the graveyard as being for Catholics much more than a mere repository of bones - albeit of the fallen who gave their lives defending our and Europe's Christian heritage - but as a living sacred site that celebrates their sacrifice and bears witness to our Christian and national heritage. After Mass, the Archbishop, accompanied by the monsignors, including those sitting on the foundation's board, proceeded to the churchyard and solemnly blessed the grave.

Mepa and the foundation are now formulating suitable terms of reference for the environmental impact assessment for the project.

However, taking account of the situation as it has developed, is this really necessary? Perhaps the answer to this question lies in the stand taken by the Catholic Cultural Heritage Commission and the standing the legislator invested it with in the Cultural Heritage Act.

The Heritage Act specifically established the Catholic Cultural Heritage Commission, specifying that its composition shall comprise persons appointed by the government and by the president of the Malta Episcopal Commission. The law also invests the CCHC with the powers of the Superintendence of Cultural Heritage. Moreover, it also makes it mandatory for Mepa to seek the views of the CCHC whenever an application concerning any development involving a "cultural property belonging to the Catholic Church, including to Catholic religious Orders" is received. It is the CCHC that must firstly be consulted and approval or otherwise of the application must be taken on the basis of the deliberations of the CCHC. Moreover, in the section Provisions Regarding Religious Cultural Heritage, the law states:

"52. (1) Without prejudice to any other law that may be in force, and until such time when there may be reached an agreement between the competent civil and ecclesiastical authorities, cultural property belonging to the Catholic Church, including to Catholic Religious Orders, and destined or used for religious purposes shall fall under the exclusive regulation and superintendence of the Catholic Cultural Heritage Commission to be appointed every two years by the president of the Malta Episcopal Conference, and to consist of not less than five experts one of whom shall be so appointed after consultation with the minister."

According to the Heritage Act, St John's Co-Cathedral therefore "falls under the exclusive regulation and superintendence of the Catholic Cultural Heritage Commission".

Mepa, in its deliberations, is therefore bound to give great weight to the stand taken by the Catholic Cultural Heritage Commission regarding the St John's co-cathedral development applications. The CCHC has taken a staunchly negative stance on the applications. Why, therefore, should Mepa spend costly man-hours devising terms of reference for an environmental impact assessment and why should the foundation waste a very significant sum of money on an IEA when the body which by law is invested with the exclusive regulation and superintendence of St John's has already made it views known?

Whither St John's and whither Mepa?