Dun Ġorġ's glove and Church 'beliefs'

In his letter of April 4 (Dun Ġorġ's Glove), Karl Consiglio questions whether the Church "truly believes in Dun Ġorġ's miraculous glove". As any Catholic knows, the Church does not "believe" in any article of clothing, whether it belonged to St Ġorġ Preca or to anyone else.

The Church does not practise magic. What the Church believes is professed in the Creed on every Sunday. If Mr Consiglio is truly interested in what the Church "believes", I would recommend that he attend a Mass one Sunday, or, at least google "Nicene creed' for further information.

The Church believes that it is God, and God alone, who can transcend the laws of nature. It also believes in the intercession of the "communion of saints", those persons who, during their lifetime, followed the teachings of the Gospel to a high degree of perfection. St Ġorġ Preca is numbered among these persons.

Articles which belonged, or where closely related to, the saints are cherished as relics in much the same way that we cherish photographs or belongings of departed loved ones.

The Church does not attribute any supernatural power to such objects but they are venerated because they serve to remind us of the qualities of the person to whom they relate. Many people today are too quick to ridicule the Catholic faith without ever bothering to invest some time in educating themselves on the authentic teachings of the Church.

To me, this signifies not only a lack of respect for practising Catholics but also a lack of self-respect. If I am going to criticise something, I first have to understand it. Unfortunately, most "critics" of religion base their arguments on folkloristic devotions and stereotypes which have long since vanished and which live on only in their prejudiced minds.