A spaghetti western was the unlikely lifesaver for a Maltese priest living in Nice who decided to watch Clint Eastwood rather than join the Bastille Day celebrations which became the target of a terror attack.

“I was planning to join the crowd to watch the fireworks display were it not for A Fistful of Dollars [a classic 1964 movie], which I started watching by chance while zapping through the channels.

Fr Paul Sammut, parish priest of Saint-Pierre de l’Ariane in Nice.Fr Paul Sammut, parish priest of Saint-Pierre de l’Ariane in Nice.

“I will be forever grateful to God. My apartment overlooks the exact spot of the attack. It could have been me.”

This was the first reaction of 68-year-old Fr Paul Sammut when he was contacted by Times of Malta in the aftermath of Wednesday's terror attack, which claimed at least 84 lives.

Amazingly, he remained completely oblivious to what was going on just a few metres away until French television broke the news.

“From that moment onwards everybody rushed to their phone, checking on the safety of relatives and friends,” he said.

Fr Sammut recounted the grief experienced by members of his community who lost their loved ones and sought his advice in these difficult moments.

“As parish priest, I am at a loss for words. Consoling the bereaved families by telling them that the victims will be remembered in our prayers is of little help. We are on a mission, but there comes the day when God decides that time is up,” he said.

The attack, the third large-scale incident to hit France since the Charlie Hebdo shootings in January 2015, has reignited the debate about multiculturalism.

Having settled in France nearly 40 years ago, when he was responsible for various Catholic communities, Fr Sammut is at present parish priest of Saint-Pierre de l’Ariane in the eastern part of Nice. The area, which is predominantly Muslim, has a population of 20,000, most of whom are of Cape Verdean origin.

“There is absolutely no tension between the Christian and the Muslim communities here. We have been cohabiting peacefully for decades, even though Catholics have now become a minority,” Fr Sammut points out. He says he is perfectly at ease, even when walking through the Muslim areas of the city with a large cross on his chest.

There is absolutely no tension between the Christian and the Muslim communities here. We have been cohabiting peacefully for decades

“It is not rare that I am greeted with a ‘Bonjour, Padre!’” he says.

Fr Sammut threw cold water on concerns that this attack would instigate religious hatred and sow ethnic divisions.

“Our Catholic community has a strong relationship with the Imam, who is regularly our guest on special occasions like Christmas and Easter. We then reciprocate during the Muslim festivities.”

He added that such a barbaric attack took everyone by surprise, while he rejected claims that Nice was a city harbouring extremist groups.

Unfortunately, the incident is likely to hit the thriving tourism industry of this coastal city hard.

“This will likely manifest itself in a month’s time towards the end of summer, as end-of-summer bookings are usually made during this time of the year.”

Meanwhile, life for the residents of Nice, the fifth most populated city in France, will hopefully return to normality in a few days’ time.

“It does not make sense remaining indoors fearing the worst. Life must go on. I just thank God that it was not me.”

 

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