A Hamburgian perspective to the Debonian crisis
Wednesday. January 25.
Hamburg. The feast of the Conversion of St Paul.
I am participating in a workshop which is part of a pan-European research project. Although the feast is of St Paul I thought that going to Santi Pauli would not be the best way to celebrate the feast of the great Apostle.
During dinner for the participants of the conference, conversation turned to the international economic crisis which was from time to time punctured by smses from Malta updating me with the speech of Dr Franco Debono in Parliament.
“The number of unemployed has reached 14% of the working population” said a Portuguese academic. The figure given for Spain was more awesome.
“What is the figure of unemployed in Malta?” someone asked me.
“We have one of the lowest figures in the European Union”, I said. “I think it is in the region of 6%.”
“Lucky you” was the reaction of several colleagues.
“We used to get fourteen months of wages instead of twelve months”, interjected the Portuguese. “Now that is a thing of the past. We get the wage for twelve months, now. This is quite a hefty decrease in our salaries.”
“How much were salaries cut in Malta?” someone asked.
“Salaries were not decreased in any way. In fact an increase was just given because of the rise in the cost of living”, I said.
“What planet do you live on”, several asked, their eyes green with envy. “How could you not be suffering a crisis just as we are?” they asked.
“We have a crisis”, I said.
“Crisis?” they asked.
“Government has only a one seat majority. One of its members rebelled after he was not appointed a minister and has said that he lost all confidence in the Prime Minister. This created a crisis. The Opposition moved a motion of no confidence in government. The government member has not ruled out voting against the government. If he does that the government would have to resign.”
People found it difficult to understand this crisis.
I accessed the smses from my smart phone updating me of the speech of Dr Debono. The honourable member professed that he is most loyal to the Prime Minister. My dictionary gave me a different definition of loyalty. What the heck. This is a postmodern culture. Everyone has his own personalised and individualised truth.
Thursday. Novmeber 26.
The great day came at last. The crisis unfolded like the dance of the seven veils. It now reached the stage where only one final veil remained. Most knew what lay under it; but expectations grew and speculation was rife.
In Hamburg no one was discussing this crisis. Jobs, the economy, the environment and other such totally unimportant stuff – compared to cassettes in court rooms, that is – were on their agenda.
An sms informed me that Dr Debono was going to abstain “for the glory of God.” He (Debono not God) must have picked the famous Ignatian dictum during his years of formation under the direction of the Jesuits. His mid-term Form 2 certificate, after all, proved that he was the bright student that he wanted us all to believe. He not only grasped the basics of arithmetic and writing but he also imbibed the core of Ignatian spirituality; though perhaps bar what it says about the terzo grado.
The Jesuits must be enthralled. Debono started the week hugging a Buddhist spirituality book but concluded it by giving the thumbs up to the great Ignatius of Loyola. This was another case of Jesuits uber alles, as the Germans would say.
The anglu tal-festa syndrome was then grossly manifested by some of the reactions publicly given.
Friday, 27 January
It snowed during the night. The trees and the streets are covered with snow. What a beautiful sight to behold. Alas it will not be for long. Cars and pedestrians quickly mutate the snow into sludge. The beautiful white covered street become an ugly sight to look at. However, the streets have had their few hours of glory. Others, similarly, may have had their few day of fame or infamy. Take your pick.
Sic transit gloria mundi.
28 Comments
Post comment
Please sign in or create your Account to post comments.
Carmel camilleri
Feb 3rd, 21:00
i have never read such vonom coming from respondents against Frs Seychell, Camilleri, Montebello, Collins and other left leaning priests who regularly write in the leftist papers supporting the opposition.
The outrage simply show that labour permits nothing which is not in line with their policy even if what is written is the sacrate truth. This is those who have eyes to see and ears to hear. Priest can only write politics so long as they write in favour of Labour Party.
David Seychell
Feb 3rd, 09:16
Should religious leaders (or priests) praise or criticize political parties (or their policies)? Some here say they shouldn't. They say priests should stick to religion.
Francis Saliba M.D.
Feb 3rd, 10:57
@ David Seychell.
If you agree with those who believe that priests "should stick to religion", you should also agree that plumbers should stick to plumbing, doctors to medicine, engineers to engineering, farmers to farming etc. What is sauce for the goose should be sauce for the gander.
It is not possible to fit in that anti-priest sentiment with the modern trend (better still the fundamental human right) against discrimination on various grounds, religion being one of them.
Or, perhaps, you actually believe that everything is fair in love and war - especially in the war against religion?
Glenn Camilleri
Feb 2nd, 10:13
heqq tista tghid li dan huwa parti mil klikka, parti mil magna li l'knisja tuza kontra is-socjalizmu. ara min jikteb fuq l'orizzont ikollu juri lil kurja xjikteb, imma dan ma jimpurtax hux laqwa li favur gonzipn
Joseph Borg
Jan 30th, 13:23
Sur Borg (ghax ma jixraqlikx nghidlek qassis). Imissek tisthi tmur barra u tghawweg il fatti
kif jabel lilek. Tkomplix tigbed izjed mibgheda fuqek u aktar fuq il knisja b'dak li qied taghmel.
Xogholok mhux fil politika. Ghandi ragun meta nghid li l-knisja illum hija falza ghax qeda thalli lill dawn il ministri taghha jinqdew bil politika ghal gwadan taghha biss. Jekk verament trid timxi fuq il passi ta Kristu taf xghandek taghmel. Nahseb li l-kelma t'Alla lanqas taf x'inhi. Aqra ftit ir Rivelazjoni ta San Gwann u ara hux jghid ezatt fuq dak li illum hi maghrufa il knisja.
Mr Michael Debono
Jan 30th, 11:16
In my last contribution there is a word missing when referring to hate.It should read political hate.
Joe Brincat-LL.D
Jan 29th, 13:40
You did not give them the right information. I think we have the record for dealing with the crisis. A group of people reduced their salaries by Euro 500 a week, and this because of the crisis. Who can match that ?
David Scicluna
Jan 28th, 12:25
Joe, you are just another PN apologist, repeating like a parrott its recycled arguments. Who told you taht the figure of unemployment in Malta is only 6%? That is only the percentage of people REGISTERING for work. You also lied when you explained to them the reasons behind Debono's rebellion. At least give them the two versions and let them decide.
S. Vella
Jan 28th, 21:36
If they are not registering for work then they either do not want to work or they do not need to work. You categorise them as unemployed.
Mr Michael Debono
Jan 28th, 11:23
Father I was going to write Mr Joe Borg has missed his vocation. Priest is not his proven profession he should have entered politics. His political articles scandalise devote Catholics.Does he realise it. It seems not. Perhaps he uses his casoc to influence his readers.
Andy Farrugia
Jan 28th, 12:12
The same old tactics; nothing new. The same livid, rabid, demential anti-clerical bile from the same old sources. And then they have the cheek to talk about freedom of expression, and right to disagree!
Mr Michael Debono
Jan 30th, 11:06
Ms Andy Farrugia.
You do not know the definition of anticlericalism. It is Fr Joe Borg who is discrediting the the priesthood. Is this anticlericalisim?It is a pro Church stance that refuses the fact that a Rev Priest shows a profound political sentiment rather than reconcile people.Hate can never be judged as being aaccepted to be shown by a priest whether political or otherwise.For hate is beween the lines.
Andy Farrugia
Jan 30th, 14:26
Provide concrete examples of hate , whether political or otherwise, in Fr Borg's writing, or do you happen to have dark-red glasses which allow you and others to read between the lines. Very open-minded, tolerant and progressive, no doubt.
Victor Rodenas
Jan 28th, 10:30
A few years ago it snowed ,or rather hailed a lot in Malta and the big rubbish dump at Maghtab was all covered with ice,it looked very beautiful like a small white immaculate hill,.....but underneath that whiteness there was trash.
J.A. Ebejer
Jan 28th, 10:28
This is an excellent tongue-in-cheek article.
Apart from the political ramifications of Debono’s actions, his propensity to blackmail can hardly be described as altruistic, no matter how many Buddhist spirituality books he may read. Citing the use of cassettes in courtrooms as (part of the) justification for his actions displays a lack of proper sense of perspective.
His use of his Form II school report is the cherry on the cake. On the day, he told the PBS journalists that if they wanted to know who he was they should see his school report, or words to that effect. A person gains respect by what he says or does, and certainly not by school exam results.
As a former student of St. Aloysius College, I think his erratic behaviour, combined with the gross disrespect to people around him, has brought shame to the school.
John Mifsud
Jan 28th, 06:57
This is puerile writing in the first degree. A university lecturer who seems completely cut-off from the reality that many thousands are facing, day in, day out.
Mr Joe Borg should have a word with those priests who spend most hours of the day facing their parishioners, and he might learn a thing or two on how many families are going out of their way to make ends meet.
I am no priest, neither am I a university lecturer, nor a well known commentator, I am just a little man in the street, but I am blessed that I spend many a time with hard-working people who are not living in Utopia.
Mr Andrew Camilleri
Jan 27th, 19:18
This reads like subtle but still cheap party political propoganda. Shame on you FATHER Borg!
Mr Joe Micallef
Jan 27th, 20:43
Ostrich! Well not really, those are clever animals that don't really bury their head in sand, but the figurative ostrich fits you like a glove.
Andy Farrugia
Jan 27th, 21:03
Tal-ghageb, dan il-karattru! Min mhux maghna kontra taghna! Jekk ma joghgbokx dak li jikteb Fr Borg, taqrahx jew mur aqra lil Montebello! Tajba din ukoll.
Mr Joseph Carmel Chetcuti
Jan 27th, 22:27
Dear Andrew, may I respectfully suggest that you look up the word 'blatant' in any dictionary. You think anything that Borg writes is subtle? Borg has many attributes (not the kind that Augustine attributed to God) but let me assure you that subtlety is not one of them. Borg is part of the PN machine. End of matter. I wish I knew his history when I first met him on Xarabank. I often wonder where his priorities lie. I only hope St Peter is not 'lejber'! But then we all know that God the Father and Jesus are on the side of the PN (the Holy Spirit is a floating voter) . I hear he is having a real doozie with the other two as he is thinking of joining Muscat's movement. He will, of course, be under cover as he does not want to be too obvious. My connection with the Holy Spirit goes a long way and I have a certain affinity with him. When I was a young boy, Fra Gorg (a Conventual Franciscan at Valletta's San Frangisk) asked me to go to St Paul's Church in Valletta to collect a relic - a feather of the Holy Spirit. I obediently went there but left without a feather. Since then he (the HS not St Paul) and I became good friends which explains my authoritative statements on the HS. Unfortunately my friendship with St Paul has deteriorated over the years, mostly over one of his statements in his letter to the Romans.
Mr Joe Borg
Jan 28th, 11:20
@ Micallef. Ostrich. You gave me an idea. Once I wrote a piece called "Bghula and other animals." I can write one calle "Ostriches and other animals." Thanks for the idea. Prosit tassew.
Guzi Abela
Jan 27th, 17:29
Mr Joe Borg, at Hamburg, did you tell them how much we pay for our electricity bills and for gas, petrol and diesel? Did you tell them our wages are amongst the lowest in the EU? Did you tell them the cost of living increase was a measly 1.16 Euros while the cabinet gave themselves a raise of 500 Euros behind everyone's back? Did you tell them that there are pensioneers living on a mer 500 Euros monthly? Did you tell them you get paid thousands of Euros for consultancy by the Ministry of Culture? On what do you you base your assumption that Debono rebelled because he was not appointed minister? Did he tell you personally?
C. Spiteri
Jan 28th, 00:44
Couldn't have put it better. Fr Borg, I suggest you stick to what you know... ie. religion.
Mr Joe Borg
Jan 28th, 11:17
Yes, I mentioned that there are pensioners living on a mere 500 Euros monthy after someone mentioned that the minimum wage in their country is 400 Euro monthly.
Victor Laiviera
Jan 27th, 14:48
You final analogy can be stretched a bit further. The streets and trees covered with pristine white snow can be compared to a Party taking office after a longish period in opposition. It is full of energy, new ideas and high ideals. Like the MLP in 71 or the PN in 87.
The years in power, especially if they are too many, have the same effect as cars and pedestrians have on snow - they "mutate the snow into sludge" and "the beautiful white covered streets become an ugly sight to look at."
Just like the MLP in 87 or the PN today.
That is why change is so important.
Angus Black
Jan 28th, 01:08
Vic the MLP was like those trees covered with pristine snow, white, pure and pretty to look at. But please read a little further. A short time later, the snow turned into slush and though Fr Joe did not elaborate, so did its colour. It turned into muddy brown stuff and the snow on the trees melted and dripped from the trees. All that remained was the dirty slush.
It is like what happened between 1971 and 1987, Vic. Kapixx? And, wonder of wonders, we are still seeing some of that sludge and slush persisting beyond 1987.
Today it is called 'the new Labour Party'.
S. Vella
Jan 28th, 21:33
The MLP in 87 is the same as the PL today - same people. Nothing changed except they are even more lanzit ridden than before.
Mr Michael Debono
Jan 30th, 11:40
Mt Angus Black.
When the snow that cover the trees melts it leaves a clean shining wet leaves, and is absorbed by theroots of the tree does giving it life.