John Guillaumier, St Julians
The role an ambassador must not have
I’d like to say goodbye and bon voyage to Douglas Kmiec but I don’t feel sorry about the negative report he received from the US Office of the Inspector General for his proselytising activities while serving as US Ambassador to Malta. The last thing Malta needs is a proselytising American Ambassador.
God knows that the theocracy called Malta has more than its share of proselytisers, in addition to bishops and priests preaching relentlessly from pulpits, on radio and television, and in newspapers.
Malta has a do-gooder President, a proselytising former President, a sanctimonious Prime Minister, moralising MPs, sermonising newspaper columnists and militant Catholic reactionaries in the letters section of The Times.
Christopher Hitchens is right when he says that “religion poisons everything”. Not only has religion contaminated all the above but it has also led to the untimely resignation of Prof. Kmiec as US Ambassador to Malta.
If the next US Ambassador to Malta is a Muslim, it would be undiplomatic of him to use his post as ambassador to promote Islam, just as it was wrong for Prof. Kmiec to use his post as ambassador to promote his personal religious values.
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Gerry Cowie
Apr 24th 2011, 20:30
I would like to thank John Guillaumier for his letter! As usual it galvanises the majority of Maltese believers in Christ. John always manages to provoke discussion through his negative feelings towards the Church and helps, no doubt to his own chagrin, to strengthen belief in God. Well done John, and a very Happy Easter to you.
Mr Joe Xuereb
Apr 23rd 2011, 22:16
I remember years ago a friend and I somehow tagged ourselves to a group of tourists and their guide(to this day I feel guilty we had a free ride - not very gentlemanly of us).
The guide went on and on about how this woman heard voices way, way back (we kept to the back of the crowd, sniggering like two schoolgirls) and this, presumably, is the reason for the building of the sanctuary. I understand that there are some other strange sightings (hearings?) going on in Gozo at the moment. Anyhow, I am not surprised you met Mr. Kmiec at Ta' Pinu. Where else? some dive in Paceville? One must cultivate these encounters. I trust you exchanged e.mails, etc. I would have; but then again......
On a more serious note (the above IS serious very!), there is no doubt that Mr. Kmiec is a good man, and a gentleman. And courteous of course; he's a professor for god's sake! But 'practising' one's religion on one's job is unacceptable in an ever growing secularism. As simple as that.
@P.P. Proselytise, spelling thereof, is a little difficult to memorios short of using a dic. every time. Some get lazy, ain't no crime. So your point is? Or should that be agenda?
Mr Andy Farrugia
Apr 23rd 2011, 20:32
The President of the Republic of Malta is guilty of a heinous crime: doing good. Whatever next?
Philip Pryce
Apr 23rd 2011, 19:16
Congratulations on using variations of the verb 'proselytise' four times in your letter. You should be proud of your ability to use a dictionary.
Mr Joe Xuereb
Apr 23rd 2011, 11:39
Of course it seemed like a good idea at the time to whoever decided that sending a very catholic ambassador to a very catholic malta would be like a marriage made in heaven. They obviously over-estimated the dictum 'preaching to the converted; obviously never heard of the futility of 'taking coals to Newscastle'. The ones to lose in all this are that common, very common brand of Maltese who like to rub shoulders, particularly when caught on camera, with foreign grandees who share their piety. This is one instance when I gloat that sometimes, some things backfire something terrible.
Sorry special brand of Maltese, continue practising shoulder-rubbing with the lamp-posts.
Henry S. Pace
Apr 23rd 2011, 16:03
Unfortunately this is today's trend. Whoever speaks of his true convictions is thrown by the wayside. By coincidence I met His Excellency in Gozo at Ta' Pinu Church. He is a a gentleman with a great vision on today's world. He spoke to my wife and me in a very courteous manner no matter of his high office that he occupied in Malta. . Its quite a pity that the USA stooped so low in giving such a judgement on this distinguished person.