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people
| Father
Mark Montebello
In harbours and behind bars
Miriam
Dunn and Father Mark Montebello
were two members of the fact-finding delegation that visited Palestine
recently. During the trip the priest, who has made helping Cottonera
and the prison population his mission, aired his views on these
and other subjects
He may have been born in Sliema and lived for some time in Rabat,
but there is no doubt that Father Mark Montebello has made Cottonera
his new home.
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The controversial
priest caused a furore when he organised public discussions on
work needed to upgrade the three cities and was rapped over the
knuckles by the Curia for his outspokenness.
But he is also widely respected for the sterling work he has done
to help prisoners and has won the hearts of the people who live
in the Cottonera area, especially through the setting up of the
Dar it-Tama community centre.
In the meantime, he readily admits, he has developed a great affection
for the area.
"Cottonera is at the heart of the island," he explains.
"When there are major changes in Malta, whether they are
economic or social, we always feel it in the three cities. And
this is one of the fears I have with the project planned for the
area, that its character and environment must be respected and,
where necessary, preserved."
When he first moved to Vittoriosa eight years ago, Father Mark
explains that he spent the first few weeks "watching and
listening".
"I wanted to hear what the people had to say – their
grievances, their hopes and their desires," he says.
He hadn’t been in the area long when he began realising that
it comprised a fascinating tapestry of Maltese life.
"I noticed the Mintoff cult, which has been somewhat lost
now," he says with a smile. "And I also realised that
politicians at the time were talking about what the Cottonera
area needed, but only for their own ends and their words didn’t
often become actions. At least the setting up of the local councils
helped in this regard."
Father Mark recalls how a group of people living in the Cottonera
area eventually approached him and asked him to "do something".
"They wanted to start a public discussion on Cottonera and
its problems, so we decided to organise a number of meetings over
a period of time," he explains.
The meetings, which focused on the social problems in the area
such as drugs and unemployment, "provoked havoc", Father
Mark admits.
"There were riots," he says with a smile. "I think
some politicians resented me and were worried that if we brought
certain issues out into the open, the place would end up with
more of a bad name."
He explains that eventually, everything calmed down.
"The people that were concerned or felt threatened realised
there were benefits to discussing the problems that people were
facing," he says, adding with a laugh: "In the end,
we all became friends."
Father Mark explains that from feedback he received from the people,
it became evident that certain community facilities were sorely
lacking in the Cottonera district, most notably a youth group.
"They asked me if I would try to do something about it, so
we tried to hunt out a suitable premises," he explains.
After some time, a place in Cospicua was found, which signalled
the birth of
Dar it-Tama.
Father Mark explains that the idea was to set up projects aimed
at bringing out people’s creative talents and encouraging
them to use their initiative.
Community projects, ventures to help children, former prostitutes
and prisoners were among those that he got off the ground –
projects, he admits, which were sorely needed.
"We have a lot of social problems in Cottonera," he
says. "There is a great need to protect children from exploitation
and prostitution. We have to deal with a lack of schooling and
exposure to violence, for example. But unfortunately the authorities
still look the other way a lot of the time."
It is difficult to mention Cottonera without thinking of Mintoff,
someone that Father Mark admits he is still great friends with,
although he has his differences with the former premier.
"Mintoff is much bigger than the man," he says. "I
don’t agree with everything he did, such as the rows he had
with the Church. But in the future, I believe we’ll remember
what he did for the country."
And what does he have to say on Mintoff’s actions in Parliament?
Father Mark is adamant in his reply.
"Mintoff didn’t bring down the labour government,"
he answers. "Sant did, by linking a vote in parliament to
a vote of no confidence."
This lack of fear at expressing his views is characteristic of
Father Mark. In fact, the decision to say what he thinks was a
conscious one he made while abroad, as he explains.
"I awoke from my dogmatic slumber while in Brazil during
1985 and I decided to always tell the truth to myself and God
while studying in Rome," he says.
He admits to being greatly influenced by the Dominican Father
John Xerri, whom he stayed with during his time in Brazil, although
he believes he was unaware of the impact the trip had on him until
he returned.
"I changed my perception of the concepts of justice and peace
while I was in Brazil. It was another world," he explains.
"For the first time I began questioning things."
Then, when he went to Rome in 1989, he became somewhat sceptical
about the church as an institution – a view that was to earn
him a reprimand from the Curia.
"I saw how the funds were allocated and this confirmed to
me some of the hearsay about how the church’s policy is worked
out," he explains. "During that time, I decided no man
or institution would be my master. I realised that having faith
or a religious commitment is something separate from the institution
itself."
And does he ever regret his outspokenness?
Father Mark answers with a smile.
"If my superiors send me away, nothing would change,"
he replies. "I have already worked things out in my heart.
The institution is just a means."
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