“A prophet is despised in his own country, and in his own house, and among his own kindred” (Mark 6:1-6). Jesus might have been despised in his home town but in Malta the very person who accepted the Christian religion, who followed Christ’s teachings of hospitality even before he had heard about Him, is at best despised and at worse hated and abhorred.

I have written many a time about St Publius and no one has ever had the temerity to face me or contradict my writings. According to the Catholic calendar of saints (as also confirmed by the Orthodox Church) January 21 is dedicated to the memory of St Publius. The learned Mgr Charles Scicluna, to push forward his favourite saint, denigrated St Publius by stating that the Church does not recognise him as he was not beatified according to the modern system.

Therefore all those saints who died prior to 450, according to this monsignor, are not saints worthy to be venerated. A simple research will show that there are hundreds of such saints including St Augustine of Hippo, St Boniface, St Catherine, St Cecilia and many others who had never been formally canonised but are still venerated.

In Malta, as per the very words of Jesus, our first saint is despised. Not content with doubting his sainthood, the official date of January 21 has been given to St Agnes, a saint also of the old period, and St Publius was pushed out of the way to January 22. This year, January 22 falls on a Sunday, so the Order of Masses ignores St Publius completely. His feast was not even transferred to Monday, January 23. There is an annotation on Sunday January 22 that only Floriana is to celebrate our first saint. Why? St Publius is officially the patron saint of all Malta as decreed by Pope Paul V in 1610.

“By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (John 13:35). But Christ’s teachings are not welcome in Malta, a small island built on hatred, spite, envy, vindictiveness, denigration, spite, loathing, malevolence, jealousy and other despicable attributes.

What is the local Church hierarchy doing to instil love among brothers, which Jesus had declared to be the second great commandment following closely the love for God?

Is there any hope that brotherhood will ever be appreciated in Malta? Who cares about parochial and political spite and enmity? This despicable attribute has been fostered and fomented by the very persons who should have been teaching love for one another.