Fiona Galea Debono
Church 'is not coping financially'
Three women victims of domestic violence, together with their children, cannot be housed at a Church shelter because another two families, who have completed their therapy, have nowhere else to go.
Mgr Victor Zammit McKeon, director of the central office of children's homes, highlighted the problem during an intervention at the launch of national standards and policies for out-of-home child care at the Mediterranean Conference Centre in Valletta, yesterday.
He was stressing the fact that the Church was completely "stuck" in terms of finances, listing a home for the elderly that had closed down and another that was unable to admit more residents as well as the winding up of its media arm.
"The Church is not coping financially," he said. "Before, we used to rely on members of religious orders but now we have to employ lay people and pay them."
The three families have been referred to Progamm Sebħ, the second-stage shelter at Dar Qalb ta' Ġesu, but no space is available.
It could only cater for nine mothers and their children and it was full, he said, despite the fact that the women responded well to the therapy and could move on to alternative accommodation.
Mgr Zammit McKeon also appealed for a solution for children who were in institutions "for nothing", only because their mothers needed to go out to work.
24 Comments
Post comment
Please sign in or create your Account to post comments.
Steve cassar
Nov 6th 2009, 08:42
Franco Farrugia jekk tmur haz-zabbar tinduna kemm sejjer zball!
facciata kienet ha taqa, z-zeba ta gewwa qed titqaxxar! festa dejjem bid-dejn! l-unika opra li ghamel l-kappillan hi li gabar l-flus ghar-restawr tal-facciata!
biss kien hemm xi nies li hallsu min butom biex imlew l-kopletti bil-pitturi! Allura twaqqafom?
Franco Farrugia
Nov 5th 2009, 21:23
@ C. Busuttil - Il-ahwa, x'gharukaza... li l-benefatturi qed imorru ghand haddiehor u mhux ghand il-Knisja! Issssss.... allura, x'gara b'daqshekk? LEEEE, jekk il-Knisja verament temmen fil-faqqar evangeliku - taf xi jfisser? - ghandha TIEQAF anzi messha WAQFET milli zzid mal-opri li ghandha! Pero inti taf li dan mhux il-kaz! Hemm xi kappillani - XI kappillani! - li minn mindu marru gol-parrocca taghhom ma waqfux mument milli jwettqu opri godda fil-Knisja taghhom!
Joe Micallef
Nov 5th 2009, 16:06
Instead of pointing fingers to the Church to "suggest" what she must do (no word of thanks from some for all the good work already beeing done), why don't these people ask themselves what they can do to give a helping hand themselves to lessen the problem of the homeless?
a. sciberras
Nov 5th 2009, 15:42
homes are full because church is housing illegal immigrants, refugees and other foreigners. charity begins at home they say! an acquitance coming into malta as an illegal immigrant told me that we take their boats so in 10 years time we leave malta using them. and having the crucifix removed from classes is the first step. they may not have asked us to remove them or made us remove the crucifix themselves, but this is the first step into killing europe's culture and what we as maltese and europeans stand for.
J Farrugia
Nov 5th 2009, 15:35
Peter the thing is that contrary to perceptions, the people still love the church and go to great lengths to embellish God's temple, the Church. Unlike some of these leftists who want to lay bare all that the church has. In comunist times all churches in russia where laid bare and all their wealth went missing . Today on the contrary these churches are being redecorated anew and this is RUSSIA not Malta. Why should anyone tell me what to do with my money?
Louis Gialanze
Nov 5th 2009, 15:13
In another section of the press it was reported that the church is looking after illegal immigrants' children in a particular home so that both their parents may go to work. Charity begins at home and sure enough the church cannot expect us to contribute money for such an excess as well!
Stephen Farrugia
Nov 5th 2009, 14:51
So we don't have place for 3 Maltese women and their children and we have place for over 8000 immigrants. Who is the racist now?
I could say a lot more but I can assure you that your credibility is a big ZERO.(Stephen Farrugia, Sliema)
Peter Vella
Nov 5th 2009, 12:36
It is amazing that many are willing to fork out huge amounts of money to gild this statute or for the right to lift that statue, and more amazingly for the excessive amounts spent in festas, and yet these same people are unwilling to financially support the sterling social work the church does. Just think where we would be if the church closed its children and old people's homes and its schools! Where do our priorities lay?
C.Busuttil
Nov 5th 2009, 12:00
@Franco Farrugia
L-opri ta' l-ARTI (ftit) li ghandhom issiru fil-knejjes jkunu mhallsa minn xi benefattur/i mhux mill-flus tal-knisja. Skond int haga moqzieza ma naqbel assolutamnet xejn mieghek, ara x'gara minhabba l-fatt li m'ghandkomx issiru opri fil-knejjes, in-nies qeghdin imorru ghand il-kazini tal-baned inhallsu l-opri lilhom. Naf b'nies sinjuri kbar li hallsu plancier li jiswa belli liri xtaq jaghmel opra fir-rahal tieghu w l-kappillan gieh b'hafna skuzi kif hareg minghand il-kappillan mar ghand il-kazin u ta' donazzjoni lilhom. Kieku kien kappillan ghaqli kien jaccetta u kien jiehu li jried anke jibnillu djar ghat-tfal b'xejn. Apparti li tilfet il-flus ta' dawk l-opri l-knejjes tilfu wkoll dawk il-benefatturi.
Jien illi nvolut snin twal f'kumitati u nassigurak li n-nies li lesti jhallsu opri fil-knejjes huma dejjem ta' l-ewwel biex jghinu fil-karita. Tista taghmel opra fil-knisja u tista taghmel l-karita ma jfissirx biex taghmel haga zzarma sigra ohra. Ghalhekk il-kazini tal-baned u l-kumitati tal-festi dejjem jigbdu n-nies u benefatturi ghax qatt ma jaqtaw l-inizjattiva ta' dak li jkun. il-Knisja ghamlet bil-kontra u tilfet kollox.
mark micallef
Nov 5th 2009, 11:52
Malta sends too much money abroad. We have too many problems here to look after others. Our people should come first.
Oh and stop taking people for a ride about money...the Vatican is rich. The Pope still has his private bodyguard, while Jesus had no such thing. He doesn't need his own army. And I am sure the Vatican Museum rakes in millions.
More planning and putting our people first is what we need. (M Micallef, Marsa)
Leo Bartolo
Nov 5th 2009, 11:45
So, what is the solution for these families who have suffered enough? Give them shelter in the convents which are almost empty. Or else the Church Authorities should strip the churches and the statues,from their gold, silver and diamonds in order to house and feed the poor, the afflicted, those who are suffering injustice, domestic violence, those who have no place to live no decent clothes to wear. This is what Our Lord Jesus Christ ordered us to do. What a great difference there is between preaching and practice?
JANE CAMILLERI HABER
Nov 5th 2009, 11:37
ITS ABOUT TIME THE COUNTRY STOP RELYING ON THE CHURCH TO SHELTER PEOPLE WHO IN ONE WAY OR ANOTHER FIND THEMSELVES IN DIFFICULTY. IT IS NOT THE CHURCH'S DUTY ALTHOUGH IT IS THE CHURCH'S DUTY TO REMIND US OF THE NEED TO COME TO THE RESCUE OF THE WEAK AMONG US. AS TO THE FINANTIAL SITUATION OF THE CHURCH i SUGGEST THAT PART OF THE INCOME TAX COLLECTED WILL BE FUELED TO THE CHURCH AND OTHER RELIGOUS AUTHORITIES IN MALTA, ACCORDING TO INDIVIDUAL'S DESIRE. IN GERMANY THE CHURCH RECEIVES PART OF THE INCOME REVINUE OF THE STATE. WHY NOT IN MALTA. THE CHURCH SHOULD HAVE THE FUNDS TO EXECUTE ITS MANY MISSIONS IF THESE ARE DEEMED NECESSARY FOR THE COUNTRY.
Dylan Olliver
Nov 5th 2009, 11:31
@ Brian Farrugia. The members of religious orders are working hard looking after other people's children. Go to the Creche in Sliema and you will see a good example of this. They are educating children in schools. See the long list of applicants who wish to join. They are helping drug users to overcome their habits. Go to San Blas to see this. They are looking after our old people. Go to the Little Sisters in Hamrun to experience this. They are helping youths in Youth Centres in all our Parishes. And these are only a small sample of the sterling work they are doing. The problem is that there is a lack of vocations. Are you ready to sacrifice your life to do the same Mr Farrugia ?
Xandru Bonanno
Nov 5th 2009, 11:31
Dear Miguel,
Why don't you put your ideological beliefs and start helping the church, by actually using, at least your free time, and go helping personally?
Armchair criticism never solved anything. Only the Catholic church puts its own efforts and put its beliefs into practise. Thousands of laymen, and religious persons give their whole life to help people, either being homeless, orphans, sick, elderly, AIDS victions, and much more other griefs...
Why don't the leftist movement, (which by the way, is heavily subsidised by some fat cats), can start helping out in practise. Instead of only writing and attacking others, it can put the left thinkin into practise. Writing only do not solve problems.....
Come on Miguel..... If you like you can start by calling Caritas, or one of the hundreds of institutuons that the Church have in Malta have which help people in practise! come on... we're waiting..... you have according to your own choice.. if you like children you can help in orphanges or Caritas, if you prefer elderly, you can choose an old institution, if you like to help social cases, you can help at caritas, and so many other.... Issa f'idejk!
Paul micallef
Nov 5th 2009, 10:58
How can the church be stuck?? what about the money that the APS is making??I am only asking!!! I must say and i am not being a racist, can the church authorities please tell us how many places have been taken by these so called illigal imigrants? and if it has become such a problem why not ask for additional funding from the E.U? at least they can paint my parish.
Thank you.
Josette Mifsud
Nov 5th 2009, 10:44
A humble tought, if as everyone knows the convents are nearly bare from religious people because we don't have many new faces going into that kind of life, why is it that these people who need a roof on their head for a couple of months not being housed and cared for in these empty spaces?
Tanya Briffa
Nov 5th 2009, 10:44
I am not a big fan of the Church myself. But nobody can deny that a lot of its personnel and institutions do a lot of good in the world. Even during Henry VIII's English Reformation, poor people suffered when the monasteries were ransacked, because they were basically a force for good with their local communities, providing work for peasants and help for the poor.
We can't help wanting to assist foreign countries, there is so much to be done. But it's true that we should start at home. If the Church had to initiate a sponsorship scheme, such as the ones where individuals send 10 euros or so, monthly, to a poor family in an underdeveloped country, I for one would participate. It would be very important though that the scheme be seen to be transparent and the funds collected accounted for publicly.
Joe Micallef
Nov 5th 2009, 10:27
Il-karita qatt ma faqqret lil hadd. Ghalkemm il-karita' tibda mid-dar, ma tistax tieqaf hemm u ma taghtix kaz tal-bzonnijiet lil hinn minn xtutna. Minflok kritika f'din id-direzzjoni nahseb il-Knisja jisthoqqilha kull ghajnuna biex tkompli bl-opri tal-karita' fost il-Maltin hutna wkoll. Is-Sur Farrugia staqsa xinhuma jaghmlu l-membri ta' l-ordnijiet religjuzi - ma tafx kemm naqsu l-vokazzjonijiet?
Miguel Micallef
Nov 5th 2009, 10:16
Why doesn't the church start from selling a tiny fraction of the gold amasses at the vatican. I'm sure that would solve not only all of Malta's problems, but also of the entire world.
You see? The solution lies within the church :) They just don't care to help the world and they'd rather display the gold pendants like the rappers on MTV
Ronald Grech
Nov 5th 2009, 09:53
May I suggest selling some of the riches in possession of the church to fund a good cause? Or is it always the pious who has to make the sacrifice?
Stephen Farrugia
Nov 5th 2009, 09:46
The reason of the " church is not coping financially" is because a huge amount of resources are being used for immigrants and missions in other countries. The Maltese have become second class citizens in their own country by the church and even the government, who allows immigrants before Maltese in hospital.
The Rightwing had warned the public that ignoring common sense politics will come at a cost and only a few thousand voters understood our message. Now, to protect our own interests, the solution will be a federal state.(S Farrugia, Sliema)
Brian Farrugia
Nov 5th 2009, 09:26
"Before, we used to rely on members of religious orders but now we have to employ lay people and pay them."
What are the members of religious orders doing now?
Can anyone guess?
Franco Farrugia
Nov 5th 2009, 09:19
Skuzawni ghax ha nghid li gej: il-Knisja haqqha kull ghajnuna fix´-xoghol siewi li twettaq, specjalment dak filantropiku. Imma jien ma nistax nifhem kif fil-hin li qedha tghid li ma ghandhiex bizzejjed finanzi biex tkompli tmexxi dawn l-attvitiatjiet, fl-istess hin qieghed nara att ta' tisbieh fil-Knejjes li jaghmel ghajb, ghall-gurnata ta' llum, lil dik l-Istess Knisja. Tisbieh bhal ... pittura ... induratura .... statwi u opri godda ... tajjeb li nzommu il-patrimonju taghna u niehdu hsiebu u nindukrawh. Imma ... li naghmlu opri godda, ma nistax innizzilha. Li tizbogh biex izzomm in-nadif, haga tajba, imma li tpitter u li tindura lil hawn u lil hemm, .... naraha haga moqzieza ghaz-zminijiet ta' llum.
Alfred Pace
Nov 5th 2009, 09:16
Well I always said CHARITY BEGINS AT HOME instead of sending money to countries around the world we should first start thinking about our own needs. All the thousands of ewro sent abroad to show how kind we are and than the church says they have no funds to look after our own people. Wake up, look after your own first.