Police 210th anniversary

My congratulations to each member of the Malta Police Force on its 210th anniversary, which was celebrated on July 12.

I heard the festive mass celebrated for this occasion by our beloved and respected charismatic Archbishop Charles J. Scicluna, at St John’s Co-Cathedral, Valletta, which was aired on TVM.

This was really a very impressive celebration attended by members of the corps, President Myriam Spiteri Debono and her husband, Home Affairs Minister Byron Camilleri, Police Commissioner Angelo Gafà, several distinguished personalities and some laymen. (I missed the presence of our prime minister and the leader of the opposition.)

Archbishop Charles Scicluna greeting Police Commissioner Angelo Gafà. Photo: Malta Police Force/Facebook

The hymns – especially Nadurawk, Ja Ħobż tas-Sema, which made me shed some tears – and the national anthem, sung and played by the police choir and orchestra respectively, were really moving.

However, striking and very factual for our times was the gospel [Mt 10:16-23] read and the reflections made by the archbishop in his erudite homely. He had to state that the gospel – most befitting the force’s duties in Malta today – was not chosen for the occasion but was a selection read during mass, on Friday, all over the world.

Among the straightforward messages ‘given’ during the homely: the comparison of Jesus sending his apostles “… like sheep in the midst of wolves…” with the work of the police; the duty of the police to fight corruption… a cancer in today’s society; that the police should be “instruments of justice, law, and legality”; a prayer for God to be with the police, who leave home and a family to perform their duties… so they may return home safely to their family after work.

An outstanding homily; my humble prosit to the archbishop.

And a happy anniversary to our dear police officers!

JOE ZAMMIT CIANTAR – Santa Luċija

Comfortable Christianity

Mario Micallef claims that the installation of air-conditioning in churches is vital to stop yet more people staying away from Sunday mass (‘Cooling systems in churches are a must’, April 13). He even appears to know the mind of God on this important matter.

Apparently, it’s intolerable to expect people to sit for an hour in a church without air-conditioning before (many of them) getting back into their air-conditioned cars to return to their air-conditioned homes.

As Micallef rightly says, “no one knows how God works”; but a Church concerned with its own comfort is not the Church of martyrs and saints.

ALAN COOKE – Sliema

Cabinet leak

Since, as we have been told for the umpteenth time, cabinet discussions are strictly confidential, who informed Steward that Chris Fearne, after initially emphasising that it was a “real deal”, was now opposing it?

CARMEL SCIBERRAS – Naxxar