Archbishop Charles Scicluna has been called upon to lead by example, given his categorical statements in favour of protecting the environment.The Archbishop will be heading a consultation process within the Church to draw up a clear policy to protect agricultural land.
Mgr Scicluna will be meeting provincials, superiors of religious orders and consultative councils within the archdiocese to formulate a policy to show the Church is fully committed to the preservation of natural heritage, a spokesman for the Curia told The Sunday Times of Malta.
The policy will be aimed at agricultural land, both within and outside of zones designated for development.
The Curia was asked for a reaction after Labour MP Marlene Farrugia appealed to the Archbishop to ensure the Church files no building applications in outside development zone areas under his watch.
In a recent interview, Joseph Muscat mentioned the fact that two Church schools are earmarked to be built on 80,000 square metres of arable land in Għaxaq. The Prime Minister was reacting after Mgr Scicluna attacked the government’s decision to allocate pristine land in the south for the new American university.
Any comparison with any commercial projects aimed mostly at the service of hefty-feepaying foreigners is totally mistaken
But the Church stood its ground yesterday and said that the school project in Għaxaq will be offering free education to hundreds of Maltese children.
“Thus, any comparison with any commercial projects aimed mostly at the service of hefty-fee paying foreigners is totally mistaken,” a Curia spokesman said.
In 2006, the South Malta Local Plan designated the land in question as an area for the development of schools. Still, the application process has been going on for eight years, to ascertain that there will be “the least possible environmental impact”.
The Labour MP called on Mgr Scicluna to lead by example, especially after his categorical statements in favour of protecting the environment. Dr Farrugia, who has been championing environmental causes, made her appeal via Facebook in the wake of controversial plans to build a university in ODZ land in Marsascala.
She noted that on his appointment, Mgr Scicluna had found pending applications for the building of Church schools on agricultural land. She said she was sure that all the country, and the image of the Church, would benefit if such applications were withdrawn and alternative sites were found within development zones.
Dr Farrugia also called on the Opposition leader to safeguard outside development zones once the PN was in government, after what she described as the many environmental scars of the past.
She urged her own government to seek sustainable development while safeguarding the natural heritage and agricultural activity.