Sunday, 26th April 2009
PANDERING TO HYSTERIA
Xarabank is not exactly uplifting television and its producers, I am sure, do not pretend that it is. Like all good commercial operators, they are in it for the moolah, and in this and in their perspicacity in creating a vehicle and consistently choosing topics that draw in the punters, I cannot but admire them and hold them up as paragons of all the virtues of entrepreneurship and drive.
But I hope that they will not be offended when I describe last Friday’s edition as one which scraped the bottom of a pretty deep barrel. I don’t watch the programme often, indeed hardly at all, but when I’ve watched it (or, for my sins, participated in it, which I don’t by choice unless constrained by the call of duty) I’ve been virtually stupefied by the overall mediocrity.
Just for the sake of those of you who had better things to do last Friday, such as the ironing or watching paint dry or whatever, the show tackled that peculiar gentleman who seems to think that he can make the world believe that he is blessed by stigmata, that he owns a statue of the Virgin that weeps blood and produces salt (though not in commercial quantities) and that he has a direct line from the Virgin, who tells him what to do.
Apparently, this gentleman, who glories under the name Angelik Caruana (and that’s with a hard “g”, lest he be confused with a purveyor of mild titillation) struts his stuff at Borg in-Nadur and has quite a band of groupies, many of whom were at the studio clapping every utterance in his favour and hissing at every – perfectly reasonable – doubt cast his way.
Incidentally, when he says he does what the Virgin tells him to do, he doesn’t include stopping smoking, which apparently she’s told him to but without obedience being shown.
Mr Caruana was accompanied by a hard-faced Mrs Caruana, who looks like a sharp cookie, smartly coiffed hair and snazzy specs an’all. She was vehement in her put-down of Dr Abela Medici, who dared, horror of horrors, express the thought that the Caruanas’ messing around with a statue of the Virgin was, in fact, an insult to the Catholic Faith.
Dr Abela Medici, who is an acknowledged expert in these matters, has concluded that the salt, the blood and all the other tricks and stunts with the statue are evidence of plenty, but not of divine intervention.
Of course, as is the case whenever faith, loony or genuine, is confronted by science, the faithful (or terminally gullible) smugly riposte with the “oh Horatio, there are many more things in the Universe that are not discerned by your science” (you’ll forgive me for having messed up the quote)
This catch-all, and very convenient, response was resorted to, sadly for the credibility of the people involved, not only by the happy-clappy twits in the audience but also by some members of the panel of so-called experts, religious, psychiatric or otherwise.
I don’t include Drs Abela Medici or Mifsud in the list of so-called experts, who sat apart from the panel and had looks of sheer exasperation and what can only be described as disgust on their faces in response to many of the ludicrous statements being made.
On the subject of these two gentlemen, incidentally, might I suggest with all due respect to them that they should have thought long and hard before lending even the slightest degree of credibility to this circus? I know they were the voice of sanity and all that, and for the life of me I dread to think how the programme would have developed if they weren’t there, but a line has to be drawn somewhere.
I also suggest, with all due respect, that the Hon. Marlene Pullicino (Orlando) should have been more circumspect in giving the credibility of her position to this Caruana person. Frankly, I expect my MPs, of whatever colour they are or were, to show some slight evidence that they have some common sense and that they appreciate that pandering to the hysterical outbursts of the ill-informed is a dangerous occupation and certainly not an appropriate cause to espouse.
This sort of God-bothering carnival is rubbish of the first water. It is as offensive to people of faith or tolerance (admittedly not necessarily qualities that always find themselves residing in the same individual) as the fundamentalism of the various sects that pollute the scene, as the twee drivel that comes over the waves through EWTN and as the crass commercialism of GOD-TV, which whenever I surf over it in search of something decent to watch seems to be exhorting the gullible to part with money.
Expression is free, of course, so I can’t call for this rubbish to be banned but just as these people are free to express their chemical reactions, the rest of us are free to condemn them as apparent charlatans.
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Comments
Malta is substantially a one-faith nation but of recent years much controversy has raged around that religion-and deservedly so. I would opine that gentle readers of this blog are not a credulous collection-even though some may share my acceptance of the teaching of the Catholic Church. The manifestations at Borg in-Nadur are of the style that brings Malta into disrepute and that is a circumstance that I find particularly disturbing.
At one time we sort of commuted between the UK and Spain where we had a house (My wife simply refused to live in Malta-but that's another story) and we sometimes stopped at Lourdes. Now in general Lourdes is tawdry but somehow there is an atmosphere about the place that moves the most sceptical.
I would wish that Malta could produce a similar attraction (not necessarily religious) that would appeal to the world as it does to me as an individual but then I have had the enormous privilege of knowing Malta all my life.
Regards to all.
Stay with us Peter cause we love you.
Keep cool and no problem, I hope you keep writing on these blogs because everyone counts and matters.
Have a nice day.
Stephen now, I plead guilty to a little facetiousness.
Like your goodself I applaud what Dr ABC wrote.
Where I take isue is with this long list of alleged shortcomings of the Catholic Church.
I am not arguing with you over the details but that particular catechism (in one form or another) has been doing the rounds of the internet and other places for ages.
A little originality would be appreciated
I look back over the thread and find it was Jeffery Tabone and not you who wrote those items.
Please accept my abject apologies Stephen for my eyeside is playing up. Maybe it is time I bowed out of these blogs
" the bulk of his posting is the customary farrago mouthed by dedicated anti-religion zealots"
I am all this because I used the word 'God' ? Maybe I did not understand but how can that make me a anti-religion zealot ?
Whatever, I believe that Dr ABC was very right, in this case.
@Stephen Farrugia
You wrote:
", I usually agree. In fact, thank God he wrote this article because it just had to be said or should I say , written? :)"
If this is not an evocation to religion (God), then what is it?
I agree that it is a confused statement, but that is par for the course.
Excuse me! I never wrote about religion( unless illegal immigration has now become a religion) and if you don't agree, show me some quotes. I leave that to our friend here, he does a fine job.
Hey, hold your horses man , I'm on your side you know. !!!!!!!
It takes something divine to perform a miracle and how else could one describe Man U's performance, on this and a number of other occasions, much to the chagrin of other wannabe teams supporters - ABC included.
Looking forward to another Red Devil 'miracle' performance in the Champions League semi against Arsenal. LOL
I agree with what Stephen Farrugia wrote in his opening sentence but the bulk of his posting is the customary farrago mouthed by dedicated anti-religion zealots. To each his own.
No comments on view as of my writing so here's my pennorth -The UK is not into Euros.
I may appear an odd mixture as I am a left-wing monarchist Roman Catholic; the last by conversion and partly due to my earlier days in Malta. Though the UK is officially Protestant, we left-footers are the largest practising Christian group in the country.
Totally in agreement with ABC in this subject of "miraculous" objects but that is just my personal opinion and my fellow Catholics are free to believe what they wish.