With sadness and anger I heard about the installation of the new Archpriest Canon Ġwann Sultana, in Żebbuġ, Gozo, while being pulled by at least 12 children (since the video was unavailable I had to contend with viewing a photo) in a Porsche Boxster.

I have no idea who Can. Sultana is but googling his name gave me his date of birth as 1971 (six years younger than me), was ordained priest in 1996 (three years after I took my first vows as a religious) and is now a lecturer at the minor seminary in Gozo.

At first, I thought it was fake news but then it featured on TVM, a credible source, I would assume. I don’t know what upset me most whether it was the ‘royal’ entrance, or the fact that the archpriest was on a Porsche Boxster that has a starting price of $71,400, or that he was pulled by at least 12 children (in an era when children are still being abused by some of the clergy), or just the fact that people around were enjoying the whole show (panis et circenses).

I am sorry to say I did not sign up for such a membership in the Catholic Church. I feel I am being ‘cheated’ of my membership. I ‘signed up’ for a poor Church, a Church whose precious gifts and power lie in the small and little ones and who made a preferential option for the poor. That also means it would defend the poor and little ones and not use them to pull bombastic people on super-luxury cars.

It is a shame. What witness value is there in such a parade? Shame on the Catholic Church and its hierarchy for not stopping such a pompous superfluous demonstration of power. Or is it that the same hierarchy is the enabler?

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