The parish priest of Paola has defended plans to use part of the basilica's roof for a cafeteria, stressing the importance of supporting urgently needed restoration works.

Fr Marc Andre Camilleri has applied to the Planning Authority for a permit to set up a cafeteria on the roof of Christ the King Basilica - an application that has proved controversial and was criticised by the prime minister.

In his first interview on the controversy, the parish priest showed Times of Malta his plans for the eatery and defended it, saying:  "I don’t think God will be offended with a project like this."

The cafeteria is part of wider plans to convert two belfry towers into a seven-level interpretation centre – typically dedicated to heritage education – with a gift shop on the ground floor.

Prime Minister Robert Abela was among those to criticise the proposal, saying Maltese churches shouldn't’ be “ruined” by such applications.

The plans, however, appear to be gaining traction within the Paola community. The locality's De Paule Band, whose club is right opposite the basilica, on Tuesday issued a statement expressing confidence in the parish priest's decisions.

Responding to the issues raised, Fr Camilleri explained during a tour of the huge church that the building needed urgent restoration works and the funds generated from the planned café and gift shop would go towards repairing “dangerously unsafe” parts of the building.

“I am responsible for the biggest church in the country. It has serious external structural damage and I need to tend to it now because some parts of the stonework are so eroded they are falling off," he said.

"The roof needs fixing and waterproofing and several roofs in the interior of the belfries are dangerously unsafe,” said Fr Camilleri, stressing that donations from the church’s congregation “barely covered” staffing.

“I don’t want to get to a point where I have to ask people to pay to come to church. Tell me, what am I to do? Where am I going to get the money from?”

The Basilica of Christ the King is the largest church in Malta but it needs urgent repairs. Photo: Matthew Mirabelli

Commerce and the church have traditionally had an uneasy relationship, with the New Testament even featuring an account of Jesus expelling merchants from a temple while decrying it a “den of thieves”.

So how does Fr Camilleri react to criticism that he is going against the teachings of Christianity?

“Are we robbing anyone with this project? I don’t think God will be offended with a project like this, because this is a church built in his honour and for the service of the community. But to serve the community we must take care of its upkeep,” he replies.

‘I don’t get why people are scandalised’ 

Stressing that the church frequently engages in fundraising activities, such as  tombolas and barbeques, Fr Camilleri asked why visitors having a coffee on the roof was any different.

“What are people scandalised by, exactly?... Is it the money changing hands? Money changes hands all the time in our churches – during donation time and other fundraising events.

“I genuinely don’t get why people are scandalised and I didn’t expect such a big controversy to erupt,” he said, pledging that the activities of the cafe and interpretation centre would not impact parish activities.

Fr Marc Andre Camilleri said he didn't understand why people were scandalised by the plans. Photo: Karl Andrew Micallef.

He said priests faced criticism regardless of how they approached the issue of fundraising.

“Whenever we priests ask people for donations, we’re criticised for constantly wanting people to give us money, and when we find other ways to generate income, we’re criticised for turning it into a business," he said, adding that the people who raised such concerns “never come to church anyway.”

Response to Prime Minister’s remarks

Asked to respond to the prime minister's remarks, Fr Camilleri said he disagreed that the church would be ruined. “Why would I do something to ruin the church after spending ten years restoring and embellishing it?”

He clarified the cafe isn't planned for the roof of the basilica but over the portico on top of the entrance of the church, where, he said, only "a few tables and chairs will be placed and won’t even be visible from the street.”

Breaking down the running costs for the church, the priest said he regularly received electricity bills for around €2,000 and had just been hit with scaffolding charges of €110,000 for restoration works to one of the bell towers.

Fr Andre Camilleri said there were structural problems that required urgent attention. Photo: Karl Andrew Micallef.

Photo: Karl Andrew Micallef.

But with the Catholic church known for its vast wealth, why not request funding from Malta’s archdiocese instead?

"It doesn’t work like that,” he said, explaining how each parish is forced to fend for itself. And this is something that in a climate of plummeting church attendance and donations, is proving difficult.

"There aren’t enough churchgoers to cover costs with donations. People are generous, don’t get me wrong, but it’s not enough. We’re talking about hundreds upon hundreds of thousands of euros here.”

"Paola church was built for 14,000 people. We now have 2,000 regular churchgoers."

And Fr Camilleri reiterated his aversion to asking people to pay to enter the church, saying he “didn’t agree” with the entrance fees being levied at other churches. Both St Paul’s Cathedral in Mdina and St John’s Cathedral in Valletta charge visitors entrance fees.

Still, he admitted that his own plan for the cafeteria to cover some of the costs, was not a decision that came naturally to him.

“Were it not for the financial burden, I would have never dreamt of opening a cafeteria up here,” he said. “I wanted to become a priest and that’s all I still want”.