Joan de Jong, Sliema
Money for Papal visit misspent
I am absolutely amazed that so many people have come forward with allegations involving child abuse, but what amazes me more is that the priests allegedly involved in such cases are not prosecuted like any other lay person. How come the law cannot touch them?
Not only should they be punished if found guilty of such a horrendous act, they should receive treatment as it is more serious when a priest representing God commits such a crime.
I also feel disgusted that €750,000 are being spent to bring the Pope to Malta while children and people all over the world are suffering from hunger and sickness. This money could have helped thousands in need. If anyone wants to see the Pope, one only has to spend a few hundred euros and go to Rome.
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Dr Vincent Cassar
Apr 9th 2010, 08:12
For those of you “intrigued” by Richard Dawkins, please read “Dawkins' God: Genes, Memes, and the Meaning of Life” by Alistair McGrath, a molecular biophysicist and theologian who is currently Professor of Historical Theology at Oxford University. The 2004 book is a critical analysis and refutes claims about religion made Richard Dawkins, also a Professor at Oxford University.
VCassar, Teaching Fellow, University of London.
Marton Saliba
Apr 8th 2010, 18:39
I'm not a charity giving guy, rather the opposite of one.
But the church preaches about giving to the poor and doing charity runs (although that's more like treating the issue rather than curing it).
The resources the church have should go to charity, at least for the principle of doing good.
Me, In my case, I work for my money to spend is according to my free or true will.
I suppose the pope coming to Malta is good for catholics, but it's not like we don't have decent venues, or NEED to spend all that money for a short visit.
Wenzu Vella
Apr 7th 2010, 23:22
How many of you are prepared to lend their donkey, so that the pope would have the same transport like Jesus used to have.
Joe Xuereb
Apr 7th 2010, 22:50
@ Henry Calleja. Quote:'it will surely be compensated as the visit will enhance our image throghout the world'. (Terminal case of inferiority complex here I'm afraid). You really think North Korea, UK, Italy, Afghanistan care about the spiritual health of this tiny island?
The expense involved is not irrelevant.
I image many practising Catholic Maltese to give anything to see the Pontiff before they kick the busket. And I can image too many good Catholic not being all that bothered either way. To anyone else of a different religion, and especially those of none - all this will be seen as a circus.
@H. Gatt. Quote:'those like Dawkins who consider a person who is religious to be a psychologically inferior human being'. I don't know if Dawkins uttered these words. I would put it differently. I might say that religious people, especially the ultra-orthodox ones, are not using the full potential of their brain power. So it is not about psychological inferiority. Rather having the capacity to function ultra-brilliantly but refusing to for some reason. And I believe I know what that reason is.
Pat camilleri
Apr 7th 2010, 19:31
Mr \Busuttil please do not Judge every one because of their home town. I can assure you that I am just as enthusiastic as you are about the Holy Father coming to Malta,as are most of my family and friends,and we are all from Sliema. I also agree with Mr Henry Calleja regarding the bashing of the clergy and taking the opportunity to insult the Catholic church. Of course you will always find perverts in most walks of life, and the church is now dealing with it openly. The church here is really the extention of the welfare state. I am amazed at the dedication of the priests, monks and nuns. The work they do is invaluable.The support they give to families,and individuals is amazing.I shall always support them.Now back to his Holiness, we will welcome him here and we are blessed that he is coming to visit us.
Pule' Carmel
Apr 7th 2010, 19:20
If Malta has 400,000 residents and the cost of going to Rome is " a few hundred euros" then the cost half the local residents going to Rome would be 200,000 multiplied by say 200 euros and the answer of the product is 40,000,000euros. So a papal visit to Malta would be cheaper as far as the balance of payment is concerned!!
Irene Farrugia
Apr 7th 2010, 19:19
If i had the chance to see the Pope or Tom Jones, i will most definitly choose the latter to see Tom Jones , to be honest i don't think much of this present pope. end of story.
adrian aquilina
Apr 7th 2010, 18:18
why surprised,the church made up its own laws and lucky for them the world accepted them back in atime of superstition and ignorance..we know better now and it is time religion was not treated as a special case but as the worldwide problem it has always been especially by people who have an absolutist mentality and try to run everyones lives.as for the money the church has never and will never help the poor.just token gestures.hey could get many people out of poverty.in the 80's when the head of the maltese church i think it was,was asked instead of sending 1million to the vatican every year why not spend it on the poor here.the church didnt want to..the church has never been a force for good,all the facts are available to read.the bible a collection of older fairy stories from greece,egypt etc..the church is a privilaged business that interferes in peoples lifes.the money spent here on the visit is unacceptable when no money or help is being given to help anyone through the economic maltese mess..help the people who live here first.get our country on its feet before spending money elsewhere.
Pule' Carmel
Apr 7th 2010, 18:08
If all the governments and all the rich and wealthy people share their fortunes amongst the poor and the needy , all that would happen is that the whole world would become very poor and very needy.
Kurt Mifsud
Apr 7th 2010, 17:59
http://www.facebook.com/?sk=messages&ref=mb#!/group.php?gid=103781709659870&ref=ts
lgalea
Apr 7th 2010, 17:56
Joan de Jong What we do in our country and what our money is used for is none of your Sliema business. If you want to give your money to charity no one is stopping you, but I bet my last cent that you would spend it on a holiday, perhaps to see the Pope?
Bill Khan
Apr 7th 2010, 17:50
Joan De Jong, there are lot many personalities in the world the law cannot touch. the name Henry Kissinger comes to mind for the attrocities in chile. Then of course Bush and Blair for the murder of one million Iraqi men women and children since invasion of that country under a deceit and lies of WMDs. There are many more that laymen cannot or will not touch.
There are countless other examples of course where the culprits remain untouchable.
The pope is the head of over a billion catholics across the globe. people of malta overwhelmingly adhere to the church's teachings. The teachings in particular on abortion does save the lives of millions of babies across the world. No apologies on that of course.
Adrian Borg Cardona
Apr 7th 2010, 17:13
Monica Vella: do not rush to conclusions. Mrs de Jong is as Maltese as you are - so why should she pack up and go?
Henry Calleja
Apr 7th 2010, 16:51
@ Charles Sammut
You really made me laugh...and cry at the same time! You said,'he betrayed his master with the best of his intentions' Are you kdding or are you getting crazy?
Another thing...why are we pointing a finger at a few priests accused of child abuse and not remembering the huge thousands of priests who are doing sterling pastoral services in many countries all over the world? They are providing all the necessary needs for the poor and sick! But as usual the bad deeds of the few are always much more well spread than the good of the rest.
Why are we moaning about the money spent on this Papal visit when we spend much more when we pay to watch many singers that are brought over for commerial purposes. If we are spending the mentioned amount, it will surely be compensated as the visit will enhance our image throghout the world
D Phillips
Apr 7th 2010, 18:02
"as the visit will enhance our image throghout the world"? I'm intrigued as too your reasoning on that statement? How exactly will it be enhanced?
Thanks
c. camilleri
Apr 7th 2010, 16:34
Joan this is what exactly is happening. Hundreds of persons instead of spending their Euros to see the Pope in Rome are opting to see the Pope in Malta by donating hundreds of Euros to make the visit possible. So we are on the same wavelength as regards money.
C.Busuttil
Apr 7th 2010, 16:17
@Ms. De Jong
Probably for you spending 80,000 euros for the inauguration of a square in Valletta is well spend money, but those for the Visit of successor of Peter,the Vicar of Jesus Christ on Earth are not well spent.
Its true that as you say in your Sliema mentality with a few hundred euros you can see him in Rome, Ms. Jong not all people of this island have the fortune to spare a few hundred euros. Typical of your Sliema mentality because you can afford it, the rest can. You find all sorts of excuses mixing hunger and poverty with pedophile priests.
Well you have some news, I prefer to spend some few thousand euros to see the Pope in my country besides, that he will bring the good news of the Gospel his visit will indirectly promote the island worldwide. Though his visit Malta would get much more benefits in all terms
I feel just as you disgusted that you use hunger and poverty to attack indirectly the Pope and the church, start yourself helping those in need, because Being accustomed to your Sliema mentality the proof of the pudding is in the eating................................meta nigu ghall-fatti.....
K.Anastasi
Apr 7th 2010, 15:11
Now what would Mother Teresa do? A true person that lead by example... we don't need all these bells and whistles for the Pope, that is not religon to me!
j n ebejer
Apr 7th 2010, 14:23
It does sound a large sum of money. I understand that it takes a lot of money to cater for the media coverage etc. which then is somewhat acceptable and it will evetually have our economy benefitting by it's coverage.
What is difficult to accept is large amounts of money (if it is the case) spent for the podium/stage, designers assigned for it's design, decorations, etc.
Obviously we do not have a breakdown of expenses and so we cannot really comment in the most objective way possible. But definetely, myself, member of the Catholic community, here in Malta, am in no celebration mood, with the behaviour of some of our clergy and prefer the promotion of the better qualities of the majority of the priests - starting off with humility, sense of sacrifice and measure , during this visit and any other manifestation for what it matters. Maybe it will be the case and it will help all, believers or not to benefit from it.
clare spiteri
Apr 7th 2010, 13:02
Frankly Msss deJong it really is no one business as to how we spend our money.As to b .galea,do not confuse the issue, of child abuse and the visit of the Holy father.The former is being dealt with, as in every organization, be it the church, the teaching profession, the police, medicine etc, etc there have always been a small fraction of paedophiles . The rest which is 99%.9 are good people, who carry our their responsabilities with honour.So we are welcoming Our Holy Father with all the affection and hospitality we can muster., and if people like dejong does not like it , just too bad.
Marlene Farley-Hills
Apr 7th 2010, 12:53
On the contrary, money for the Papal visit is well spent. When we have special visitors we give them red carpet treatment and the Pope, as Head of our national Faith,deserves a regal welcome. Let us not get issues mixed up .
Marlene of Swansea
monica vella
Apr 7th 2010, 12:50
Ms de jong , we want the Pope here, we are prepared to welcome him and we are prepared to pay for his visit . If you do not like the way things are done here, pack up and go .Do not tell us what to do here. This is a Catholic country and we have a particular way of doing things . So once again, if you do not approve, go away and preferably, stay away.
K.Anastasi
Apr 7th 2010, 15:04
...actually its meant to be a secular country!
M Rizzo
Apr 7th 2010, 16:02
@Monica Vella
What entitles you to speak on behalf of the entire Maltese population? There are plenty of Maltese who do not want the pope to visit, and certainly don't want their taxes to be used to pay for it. As for Malta being a "Catholic country", what do you mean by this exactly? That Maltese people who are non-Catholic are lesser beings, and should leave their own country if they don't like the way some Catholics do things?
There is no such thing as a Catholic country - nor a Muslim country, or a Jewish country for that matter. There are only people in different countries who should each have a right to choose their own religion without fear of persecution or discrimination. One day the world will get there...
lgalea
Apr 7th 2010, 17:58
monica vella Agree with you. She's always free to leave if she doesn't like it.
David Buttigieg
Apr 7th 2010, 22:31
@K Anastasi
Actually, no! We are officially a Catholic country as laid down in our constitution. I agree that it should be changed even though I am a practising catholic. We SHOULD be a secular country.
@M Rizzo,
She may not speak for everyone but let's face it, she does speak for the majority. (As regards the Pope's visit, not making people leave) As to you not wanting taxes paid for his visit - the brunt of it is being paid for by the Church, not the state and as to the rest, tough - there are many head's of state I wouldn't want my taxes spent on, like Ghaddafi or any dictator, but a head of state is a head of state, and it is the Government's duty to provide for his security like any other head of state.
Alfred Demicoli
Apr 7th 2010, 12:43
I don't see the scope of the Pope's visit. Shouldn't he be spending his precious time going after lost sheep? With all the hurried embellishment going on on our roads all this is causing is traffic jams, confusion, frustration and swearing behind the wheel.
This visit is just a three quarters of a million Euro day out.
L Spiteri
Apr 7th 2010, 12:31
DEJA VU. "Then Judas Iscariot - one of his disciples, the man who was to betray him - said 'Why wasn't this ointment sold for three hundred denarii, and the money given to the poor?'. He said this not because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief. ... So Jesus said: ...'You have the poor with you always, you will not always have me' " - John 12, 3 -8.
Charles Sammut
Apr 7th 2010, 12:47
Poor Judas Iscariot! His name will forever be muck. He acted in good faith, he thought that Jesus, being the son of God, would destroy the Romans and the occupation of Palestine if they tried to harm Him in any way. So he 'betrayed' his master with the best of intentions. When he found out that God did not destroy the Romans and Jesus was executed like a common criminal, he comitted suicide. I don't think that he would have done that if his intention was evil from the start.
As for the Pope's visit, we got some temporary repairs to some roads, the sheeple will be distracted from their travails, then, when he's gone, they will all go back to their treadmills till the next circus hits town.
Mike Farrugia
Apr 7th 2010, 11:54
Is this country moving backwards in time? Are we going to stop getting Rockstars and international performers? Has anyone complained about getting Ronan Keaton, Tom Jones, Michael Bolton etc etc..........Did they come for free?
Only then I will start taking certain coments for serious.
H Gatt
Apr 7th 2010, 17:03
Well said! My thoughts exactly! Plus, charity begins at home. 750,000 euros injected in our economy in a time of recession is welcome...we are not talking about the Bishop buying a Ferrari or a seaside villa, but money going into the pockets of maltese entrepreneurs and workers!
lgalea
Apr 7th 2010, 18:00
You're right Mike. It's money well spent which will also be good advertising with all the international media being here. It seems that there are those who make the proverbial kawlata n their efforts to attack anything done by the Church and the Maltese Catholics.
David Buttigieg
Apr 7th 2010, 11:40
"If anyone wants to see the Pope, one only has to spend a few hundred euros and go to Rome."
What rubbish!
A lot of people who may not afford those "few hundred euros" now get to see the Pope for a very few euros each!
carmel serracino-inglott
Apr 7th 2010, 11:57
and donate some of the money aved for the poor. I agree with the POPE'S visit, the sum spent is not much. Thank you Church.
mjbusuttil
Apr 7th 2010, 11:24
If you are buying a car which costs quite a lot of money, don't Ms de Jong. Using public transport is much cheaper and give that money to "children and people all over the world suffering from hunger and sickness"...
c.c.Carbonaro
Apr 7th 2010, 10:25
Joan de Long,have you ever heard the Gospel's words:the foor are always with you,but I am not".It would be better argue about the lump of 80 million Euros for the destruction of Our Capital City by our Prime Minister in Piano's plan.
B Galea
Apr 7th 2010, 10:18
The law cannot touch them, Ms de Jong, because so many of my compatriots are willing to gloss over any ecclesiastical 'misdeeds' - even when these 'misdeeds' involve raping and molesting young, innocent children.
I really despair for my country sometimes. If it weren't for the moderating influence of some secular humanists, we'd probably still be burning people at the stake in the name of 'god'
Furthermore, as with cases in Germany, Ireland and the US, the catholic church is doing its utmost to deflect attention of these cases away from its doorstep. The church's position seems to be "blame the individual priest, but leave the institutional church out of it". I suppose they consider this a form of damage limitation. But the horse has already bolted from the stable.
A. Zahra
Apr 7th 2010, 12:59
To the best of my knowledge not one single person was ever burnt at the stake in Malta. Thank God malta always had a humane society even though many try to say otherwise. Study your history before writing otherwise you risk writing nonsense
H Gatt
Apr 7th 2010, 17:08
'the moderating influence of some secular humanists'
Presumably you are not referring to those like Dawkins who consider a person who is religious to be a psychologically inferior human being. Hallina B. Galea!
B Galea
Apr 9th 2010, 11:35
Where did I ever mention Dawkins? I admire Dawkins' work on evolutionary matters, but find his militant approach to religion somewhat off-putting. His zeal to convert matches that of his opponents - and I happen to believe that 'conversion' - either to or away from religion - is something deeply personal which cannot be induced.
By 'secular humanists' I wasn't referring to any specific individual. There have been hundreds of them - brave people who have fought against the tyranny of religious doctrine, in times when to do so not only marked you as a pariah, but had serious repercussions on familial life. Going all the way back to Galileo, to Gutenberg, Martin Luther, to Mikiel Anton Vassalli here in Malta. And, more recently, to those who forced the church out of politics, those who worked tirelessly at obtaining their right to divorce their partner, those who campaign for freely available contraception in HIV-riddled Africa, or those who didn't take 'no' for an answer and dug away at exposing the church's cover-up of decades of sexual abuse.
Is "mur hallina" the best defence you can come up with?
Josef Duffy
Apr 7th 2010, 10:12
A suggestion to Ms de Jong - why don't you start giving some money out of your pocket for the sick and hungry children, instead of suggesting others what to do? Yesterday Archbishop Cremona stressed, during a phone in programme on the radio, that the Church spends a very larger amount of money in her charitable institutions. But a Papal visit is not a thing that happens every day, so the Catholic Community in the island has a very good reason to celebrate. And things do not fall from the sky like manna - money is needed however Archibshop Cremona stressed that a large amount of voluntary work is being done to prepare for this visit, and this, even by a large number of youths.The pastor is coming to visit his flock.