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On trying to justify the Cathedral Chapter’s request for a car park at the Citadel, Joseph Apap attempted to convince us that because of the large congregations which, he said, had attended the religious functions at the Cathedral on Maundy Thursday and Palm Sunday, and because of what in his opinion is a lack of parking space, there was such confusion that both Mgr Nikol Cauchi and Mgr Mario Grech could not but depart from the Cathedral very late and therefore failed to arrive in time for their next functions elsewhere.
Your readers should note that no other church in Gozo except the Cathedral Church holds its Maundy Thursday religious function in the morning and therefore the people that prefer the morning service had no choice but to go to the Cathedral. Should the Citadel be sacrificed to accommodate the needs of a large congregation attending the Cathedral once in a while?
Was the lack of parking space the real reason for the chaos which Mr Apap tried to depict at the Citadel, or because of flawed organisation?
Why was it that nothing of the sort took place on other occasions when the Citadel and Cathedral were visited by much larger crowds, particularly on Mgr Mario Grech’s ordination as Bishop of Gozo? Why is it that no confusion of the sort occurs elsewhere, for example at the centre of Victoria, on Sunday mornings and evenings after each Mass held at St. George’s Collegiate?
Every Sunday all year round and not once in a while, St George’s Collegiate hosts larger congregations than the ones referred to by Mr Apap. And yet, despite the lack of parking space, no confusion has ever been experienced there. Moreover, lots of space at St George’s square is occupied by the tables of the two cafeterias: exactly the place where Mr Apap saw me having a cup of cappuccino in the company of my friends, and from where we witness with great pleasure and satisfaction the human traffic of large congregations going in and out of our beloved Collegiate each Sunday.
Should I meddle in public affairs? Of course I should. Particularly when the wellbeing of a historical site such as the Citadel is at stake. And therefore there is no need to ask for permission to speak or write against any threat. Therefore I ignore Mr Apap’s advice not to meddle in this affair. I would have taken his advice if I interfered in his private affairs, something which I never dream of doing.
Again have I not Victoria’s needs at heart? According to Mr Apap I haven’t. He is completely wrong although, as I presume, he read my previous letters. He should have learnt that my objection to the Cathedral Chapter’s request is based on the argument that if we were to decide in favour of sacrificing the Citadel for a car park, it would be better to go for one that serves a much wider purpose than merely meeting the needs of a handful of daily parishioners: a car park that would cater for Victoria’s needs, together with those of the many visiting tourists and of those attending the Cathedral as well. Why should there be any objection to such a project, that after all would solve the Chapter’s problems as well? Or are there any other reasons known only to the Chapter and which should be kept hidden from the public?
By the way I persist in my opinion that the clergy should keep out of public matters such as the one in question. Mr Apap’s comparison does not hold water because we are dealing about an infrastructural project which has nothing to do with Caritas and Arka whose roles and functions are purely social ones.
Finally I would like to advise Mr Joseph Apap to refrain from trying to belittle solid arguments by attributing to others puerile adjectives.
George Cremona
Victoria
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