Archbishop Charles Scicluna has called out Malta's construction chaos during his Victory Day homily, requesting the public to think deeper about what the Maltese have done to their own architecture.
In Catholic tradition, September 8 is a celebration of the birth of the Virgin Mary, mother of Jesus. However, the date coincides with two key moments in Maltese history, the end of the Great Siege by the Ottoman Empire in 1565 and World War II's end of the Siege of Malta in 1942.
Dwelling on the significance of the date in Maltese history, Scicluna said that September 8 should not be a static moment in history, but people should appreciate the responsibility that came with the decisive moments in the shared heritage of the Maltese.
“The first, in 1565, confirmed us in our religious heritage where there was a choice by the Maltese to remain under the influence of Christian culture instead of once again coming under the possession of Muslim tradition,” he said.
“This was a huge strategic, political and religious fight and we have to appreciate that these celebrations not only serve to bring us joy but they come with a certain responsibility. We had the fortune of having the Knights to defend us in a way that we narrowly missed the trauma of slavery, something that our Gozitan counterparts did not emerge from unscathed.”
It was a decisive moment and in it, Christian Europe recognised the role of the Knights and Grandmaster La Vallette in preventing enslavement by the Ottomans, and it is also what spurred the knights to stay on these islands and start building this city, a living monument to their legacy.
Scicluna went on to say that the end of World War II in Malta signalled the end of the danger of becoming part of the Nazi regime and losing the integral right to self-determination. He asked people to examine what it is we have been doing with this precious right.
“Originally, in 1964, the Maltese wanted to gain independence on September 8, not because they wanted to dwell on the past but because they wanted the day to confirm our identity and a sense of responsibility that should not be lost, despite the British having other plans,” the Archbishop said.
“What are we doing with this heritage today, when we have the right to determine our culture, our spirituality and even our architecture ourselves,” he asked.
“We can look at this magnificent cathedral, the marvellous architecture in this city and even the beauty of the Grand Harbour and you see a harmony of architecture.”
“Then we look a little beyond that you can see what we have done, what we are building when we have control of the reigns.”
“I leave the answer up to the conscience of each and every one of you.”
The Archbishop’s call to examine the state of development in the country comes hot on the heels of the Planning Authority's blessing for the construction of more apartments in Sannat in a project linked to prolific developer Joseph Portelli, through his frequent business partner Mark Agius.
This is not the first time the Church in Malta has spoken out against overdevelopment in Malta, particularly through the Church Environment Commission, which has criticised both politicians and state authorities for allowing the construction industry to balloon beyond sustainable limits.
However, the Church has not been free from its own controversy surrounding development issues and has been criticised itself for the handling of the Gozo land saga as well as for the sale of a Għargħur plot that is being developed into a large, high-rise block in the village core.
The State also commemorated the day with President George Vella laying a wreath at the foot of the Great Siege Monument in Valletta.