In his informative article entitled ‘Holy Week and Easter in a Maltese maritime city’, (The  Sunday Times of Malta, March 27), Fabian Mangion included two photographs of the statue of the Risen Christ depicting the statue as it was up until 1988 and how it was “renovated” in 1989.

The statue was not renovated (as stated in the caption) but actually remodeled, as can be clearly seen by comparing the two photographs. In fact, the author himself also referred to alterations that were carried out. Changing the positions of the statue’s arms, including extensive changes to the drapery and changing the original banner to a palm frond is remodeling, not renovating.

This is an old statue dating to the 18th century and artistic ethics dictate that it should have been left in its original state. Changing it from its original state is simply nothing less than a disservice to art.

One other point. The author stated that a new aureole for the statue was made in 1989. May I point out that the original silver aureole, by Tommaso Scicluna in 1777, had been donated by two anonymous benefactors on condition that it would be used for the statues of the Dead Christ (known locally as The Monument) on Good Friday and the Risen Christ on Easter Sunday.

By replacing the 1777 artifact with another new silver (and arguably needless) aureole in 1989, the organisers displayed the utmost disrespect towards o the wishes of the original donors.