Woman officially gets name chosen by her parents, after 62 years

amneris fallon

Dec 19th 2010, 14:57

i too have same problem and i would like to know how to go about getting my name the priest put on my birth certificate please i so much want to change it too but dont know how to go about it as i live in the uk can anybody help?

Robert Grech

Jul 10th 2010, 23:09

One should mention that Josette is a diminutive of Josephine.

Anne Howdon

Jul 10th 2010, 22:15

Pule, You certainly moved around and absorbed the local culture! I'm sure, as a student, you must have sampled Newcastle Brown Ale (strong!..commonly known as 'journey into Space!) I think you mean Manny (Emmanuel) Shinwell, a great passionate politician, one of my favourites.
You did well to understand (much less, remember!)the dialect song, Blaydon Races....gannin' alang the Scotswood Road (not Jesmond!)
The new Millennium Bridge is indeed impressive......but my favourite structure is The Angel of the North by Anthony Gormley. Both can be viewed on The Net.
I can, in all sincerity, offer similar thanks to the people of Malta for the many kindnesses shown to me during my visits. I also know that my late father, who survived the 'Illustrious' blittz on Malta, never forgot the kindness of the Maltese towards himself and his Royal Navy comrades, shown by courageous people, who themselves had already endured so much. Thank you for your kind words.
With Best Wishes to all.
Perhaps one day, I may find the answer to my Jesmond name query!!

Anne Howdon

Jul 10th 2010, 19:41

Pule, Hope you enjoyed your time in Newcastle/Jesmond. My Newcastle- born husband shares many of your memories of the area. I myself come from Sunderland...rivalries emerge only when football fixtures mean the two teams clash! I'm sure you may remember these 'derby days' too!! Jesmond still has a large student population. It is still quite affluent with pleasant restaurants and bars. Thanks for you memories!
I'm still wondering how Jesmond gained acceptance as an appropriately religious name by the Church in Malta!!

charles philip zammit

Jul 10th 2010, 17:58

even if i was still a little boy of around seven i can remember the hussle my dad went through because he wanted to call my brother Dominic. this was in the mid fifties i still remember the then archpriest of zebbug who incidentally hailed from cottoniera and whose name was lawrence, trying (a very mild word) in vain to persuade my dad not to name my brother dominic but philip for the zebbug patron saint. my father who was bless his soul as hotheaded as lawrence of cottoniera held his ground. by the way apart from the rivality between the lawrences and the dominics guess who was prime minister at that time. Dom mintoff also hailing from cottoniera and although the politico-religious battles of the sixties were still a couple of years away, trouble must have already been brewing underneath

Pule' Carmel

Jul 10th 2010, 17:13

But it is not the speed in naming a new born that she was complaining about . but the refusal of the sound " JOSETTE" which was replaced forcebly by "JOSEPHINE" against the parent's desires.

GiovDeMartino

Jul 10th 2010, 15:19

Jekk nghid li 24 sena ilu il-MALTA football assoc. ma setghetx tghid li hi MALTA jakkuzawni li jien mohhi fil-passat Imma ghax dahlet il-Knisja fin-nofs ma jimpurtax naqilghu hmerijiet ta' 60 sena ilu! X'hemm hazin li l-knisja kienet tridna nghammdu lit-tfal kemm jista' jkun malajr? Anki dan kien hazin?

Anne Howdon

Jul 10th 2010, 12:41

Thanks Frances!
I know from local knowledge that Jesmond near Newcastle was, centuries ago, the scene of an alleged hillside apparition of Madonna and Child, hence the Old English site name of Jesus Mount evolved over time to Jesmond. I was just wondering whether this religious connection would have made the name acceptable to the Church, even though Jesmond was not actually the name of a saint. Again Best Wishes and many thanks! Anne

Anne Howdon

Jul 10th 2010, 10:35

I've found this story and related comments fascinating. Having visited Malta on a number of occasions, I have since made a point of accessing the Times site, in order to keep abreast of island news and to widen my knowledge generally about life in Malta. I have noticed the Christian name Jesmond mentioned in various articles. I find this interesting as Jesmond is the name of an area in Newcastle, near to where I live. I may be wrong here, but I am unaware of any connection to a saint. Can any of your readers explain the origins of the name in Malta. Many thanks and Best Wishes to all!

J Micallef

Jul 10th 2010, 10:09

Jista' xi hadd jispjegalna GHALA din il-persuna kellha tmur il-qorti biex taqta xewqitha?!?!?!

J Pace

Jul 10th 2010, 00:30

I have the same problem. My mother wanted to call me Josette, but the archpriest, 30 years ago told her that to actually name me after St. Joseph, it would have to be only Josephine! Anyway, he got his way and they wrote Josephine on the birth certificate and all other important documents. My parents and everyone else still called me Josette and I learnt that I was actually Josephine when I was 11 years old and was sitting for the common entrance exams! I was shocked and still don't like the name Josephine to this day and actually only identify with Josette... maybe I should make Josette my legal name after all...

Noel Enriquez

Jul 9th 2010, 06:19

Well,.. I guess,.. better late than never!!

Jane Galea

Jul 8th 2010, 22:00

When the Parish Priest said that he wanted to name my daughter Carmen instead of Charmaine I told him that if he did I will walk out and christen her myself. He knew I wasn't bluffing and he obliged.

lgalea

Jul 8th 2010, 21:55

Reminds me of the song "A boy names Sue" by Johnnie Cash

g pace

Jul 8th 2010, 21:49

why is it so difficult to change your name in any case? Mistake or no mistake, people should be able to change their name if they want to.

S. Caruana

Jul 8th 2010, 21:28

My parents had twin girls for whom two pretty names were chosen until they walked up the aisle to face an arrogant priest awaiting them. He argued and argued that those weren't church names and refused to baptise the twins. My father, an intelligent and loving man who takes no nonsense, replied calmly and diplomatically. He told the priest..... ' Fine, when you'll have your own kids, you'll have every right to choose their names dear Priest, but these babies are ours and we have chosen their names!! You refuse to baptise them?? Fine, we are walking out of here to find a decent Priest elsewhere.....'
On seeing how serious my dad was, and literally already walking towards the door....., this priest called him back to compromise and settle for his chosen names to be the twins' second names.
So the twins were finally baptised having to carry the priest's chosen names to be their second names (AT LEAST)!
Again................... the church and its nonsense !
I so love Jesus but Lord please have mercy coz I simply have no more tolerance for the church.:(

Ramon Casha

Jul 8th 2010, 21:07

Even minister "Austin Gatt" is officially listed as "Agostino Pio" on the vote.

This could lead to a spate of people wishing to regularise their name, so that their ID card, passport and other official documents show their real name. They should be allowed to do so without undue difficulties or expenses. Perhaps the authorities can take this case as a precedent and formulate a method to allow these inconsistencies to be corrected.

rhuber

Jul 8th 2010, 20:20

I too have the same sort of problem. It will be nice for the readers to know my story. When I was born my mother had difficulties during delivery. Then at that time it was ‘a must’ that when a baby was born it was christened on the same day. However for some reason I was taken for christening two days later and the St. Julian’s (old Lapsi church) was angry and mad at my god parents as at that time it was your god parents who took you for christening and not your parents. So to get back on them he spelled my name wrongly (and I’ve seen the original church record card) and he left out the second names given to me by my godparents themselves.
Yes in those ugly black days it was the church who kept records of new born and if you were not christened you were not registered as a living being and that you existed. It was only when Labour took control and set up the Public Registry that things started to change. No wonder that the church in Malta is losing its popularity and fast.

josette borg

Jul 8th 2010, 19:17

Same identical story. I'm class of 50 and my name is Josette - but at that time parish priests wouldn't accept any fancy names - so my birth certificate, and all other official certificates, carry my name as 'Josephine'. Actually this doesn't bother me at all - and anyway nobody knows, except my family. What's in a name after all?

D.Farrugia

Jul 8th 2010, 19:00

The same thing happened to me.Instead of Doriette the parish priest named me Doris and I just got to know about it when I was sitting for my 'o' level exams.Then we ended up with 2 Doris at home.I get very frustrated at times cause if someone phones at work asking for Doris the staff just say that no Doris works there and sometimes it would be an important message.I would like to know what I have to do to fix this mixup.

Antoine Zammit

Jul 8th 2010, 18:49

What's in a name!! Call me what you want... But don't call me late for dinner!!

Godfrey Muscat

Jul 8th 2010, 18:48

Nara dan l-artikolu u nidhak wahdi qieghed.

Propju ghaliex jien u tfal tieghi dejjem naghdu passata zmien bil-mara u noqodu najtula bl-isem li kien ta' l-qassies u mhux bl-isem li jafa kulhadt.

Jekk xejn issa ghadna kif ghadnilha biex ma' taqtax qalbha u taghmel il-glieda ghal-isem originali taghha.

Dejjem taghkom bl-isem originali tieghi Godfrey Muscat ;-)

K. Pullicino

Jul 8th 2010, 18:43

Just because one priest made a wrong decision then: "The Church puts its nose in places where it has no right to."

So much for our open-minded and intelligent democracy. Let's continue generalizing then, stop all the priests and nuns who work with young people, the elderly, etc because their noses should be used like the rest of us who just stand at home gracing the world with our comments and enlightening opinions.

Franco J Scicluna

Jul 8th 2010, 18:21

My sister Alice was registered with the police as Ellis due to the incompetence of the policeman where we were resideing at that timeat that time.That was some forty years ago when we found out, She had to resort to the courts to have that changed, or something to that effect

Ina Cassar

Jul 8th 2010, 18:20

I know somebody who wanted to call her child "Tiger" but the parish priest refused her. She then said to him "Why refuse my child in being called Tiger when there are so many popes by the name of Leone" . I think she was right here.

GiovDeMartino

Jul 8th 2010, 17:49

Insomma ikun xi jkun il-kaz l-importanti hu li tattakka lill-gvern u lill-Knisja! Il-knisja hazina ghax sittin sena ilu kien hemm qassis li ma riedx isemmi tarbija kif riduha l-genituri.

Ivan Scicluna

Jul 8th 2010, 17:43

I have an identical case. In 1960 the Parish Priest of Cospicua refused me the chosen name of "Ivan" on the same principle; that there no Saint with that name and that it was a Communist name! Moreover, it was right in the middle of the political/religious problems!

I have lived with the substitute of "John" on practically all my official documents but everyone knows me as Ivan and not John!

M. Aquilina

Jul 8th 2010, 17:34

X'differenza taghmlilha lil knisja jekk ikunx jismek Koncilju, Benedittu jew Gwanni Pawlu. Jekk 62 sena ilu certu kappillan ma accettax isem ma jfissirx li sar abbuz!!! Hafna mill-ismijiet kienu jinghataw f'gieh il-padrun\a tar-rahal. Haz-zebbug mimli Filippi u Guzeppi, Bastjan u Gorg inzertaw Qriema u Karmnu u Katarin Zrieraq!!! Issa qed insemmu ghal plejers tal-futbol ukoll u imn'Alla l-inglizi mhux se jirbhu l-world cup ghax konna nispiccaw b'hafna Fabio u hafna Capello! Immagina Capello Caccopardo, kemm jaqbdu mieghu l-iskola minhabba ismu. Il-miskin sacerdot, li xtaq li ulied il-parrocca jissemmew ghal qaddisin, minjaf kemm kien jifrah meta imur xi hadd biex isemmi Godwin - Alla Rebbieh! Jien inhallas mijiet ta' Ewri biex nibdel ismi ghal Bastjan, u mhux ghal Plejer germaniz tafux, izda minhabba San Sebastjan taghna l-Qriema.

Paul Barrett

Jul 8th 2010, 17:25

It could have been worse - she could have been named "John". Don't laugh but I know two guys called Mary on their birth certificates.

Tracy Caruana

Jul 8th 2010, 17:05

Alla hares jinbidlu l-ismijiet kollha kif huma maghrufa certi nies ghax-il knisja m'accettatx l-isem. Malta mimlija bihom.

Kevin Cassar

Jul 8th 2010, 16:47

As if there was any need for futher proof of:

1 That the Church puts its nose in places where it has no right to.
2 How many silly superstitions and beliefs it had over its existance (gladly these have diminished but not near enough)

The priest in question probably feared that she would be stopped at the pearly gates and not allowed in unless her name belonged to a saint.

Yes I have no sympathy for the church so please refrain from pointing it out. Surely I would think that even the most convinced believer would admit that this was a silly practice that had nothing whatsoever to do with God.

Ramon Casha

Jul 8th 2010, 16:30

"The director of the Public Registry in his pleas said that the claims made by the woman were not attributable to actions by the Public Registry."

True, but neither are they the woman's fault, and this past abuse by the church is well known. Parents were prohibited from naming their children perfectly ordinary names on the grounds that there was no saint with that name (I wonder how the church knew that the child in question would not be the FIRST saint with that name). Anyway, this led to thousands of Maltese people whose official name is not their real name.

This is an unfortunate situation but the fact remains that the public registry's records are incorrect. Doesn't matter whose fault it is, it needs to be corrected to reflect that person's real name. Best bet is for the public registry to make it easier for future similar cases to be corrected, rather than trying to prevent them.