Customs and traditions are under constant threat. It is dangerous to let off fireworks during religious feasts but not for any civil festival. Gasses from fireworks affect fields and crops but lead pellets from shotguns do not alarm anybody. The world enjoys fireworks but in Malta they are associated with feasts, so they must be bad.

Ringing of bells is a nuisance but loud music and noisy cars, even during the night, must not be criticised.

Processions and street decorations hamper traffic but an inundation of monstrous second-hand cars does not matter. Faced with this undermining of our traditions, the Catholic Church seems to be living in oblivion.

Many (fanatical) NGOs claim patronage of the ‘Church’ but support alien customs and oppose anything that can have a traditional connotation. They defend human rights but not female rights as they might irk some extremists. They jump on the wrong bandwagon.

Members of the Curia are terrified of certain people and do not have the courage to correct blatant mistakes and accept censorship of Bible readings as these might ‘offend’ a particular privileged parish. They do not want to commemorate an important centenary! ‘Saints’ are pitted against each other.

How can the Church withstand an attack from aliens, hostile people and other religions if we lack unity? Certain groups want complete supremacy and many in Malta are terrified to speak up. If we defend our rights, we are called racists but alien people seem to have every right to insult the Maltese and threaten us.

This is modern democracy, in the face of which politicians have buried their heads in the proverbial sand. History will judge those who do not stand up to defend and fight for the Maltese and their culture.