The fall of intrinsic values

In my opinion, we in Malta are experiencing a moral battle and a social and spiritual war. 

We can term the present period of Labour administration as the decline and fall of our cherished islands’ intrinsic values, morally and, in many ways, even materially.

What often appears in our national newspapers, negatively, of course, are: sleaze, rampant and mounting corruption, confusion, inefficiency, dirt of more type than one and despondency. There are more besides...

It is easy to report negatively in our present situation, since the minuses are so many. We have earned a tarnished international reputation and image and we have lost our self-respect, at least our small country has. Many important standards have fallen: one example being our philatelic or postage stamp designs, a showcase for our island nation.

When we stop worshipping the one true God, we become easy prey for the devil, or a legion of devils. Photo: Mark Zammit Cordina

It is probable that our present national problems are of a spiritual nature. Yes, let us examine the facts.

Firstly, religious practice: our attendance at Sunday mass has nosedived in recent years. “The sin of this generation is unbelief,” as Christ said of his time. If we do not worship God anymore, we will often worship ourselves and Mammon, or money, and power. We become greedy and lose our sense of morality and often act changeably on expediency.

Our Christian and Catholic religion states that there is a God and there are idols - anti-gods like Satan and his fellow fallen angels who treat our world with mischief and, indeed, with evil. When we stop worshipping the one true God, we become easy prey for the devil, or a legion of devils.

One can gloat at these statements but they are true.

Our islands, Malta and Gozo, have both powers in their persons: good and bad, with some greys in between, and we have to choose wisely and firmly. If we are neither for nor against our divine Creator, Christ said that He would spit us out. So, we must make up our minds, take a stand and be committed. Witnessing to the truth is valuable and carries a price, which we must be prepared to pay for our own good and to be whole persons and whole personalities.

Politically and socially, we must believe in no more crafty and aggressive bullies. And no more ‘wets’ or softies, in or outside our parliament. The late Margaret Thatcher spoke in these terms regarding England’s members of parliament in her time. She was a woman of principle and would not stand any nonsense or half measures.

Let us pray: “Our Lady who unties knots, please pray for us” (Perlach, Augsburg, Bavaria, Germany; and Buenos Aires, Argentina).

Bernard Vassallo – Swieqi

Policies of despotic nations

The glaring and unabashed intrusion of government members during EuroPride celebrations and on other occasions where such representation was apparently innocuous, leads one to ponder why the government insists it was this government that promoted such gay pride.

There are other instances where the representation of members of the government was not justified.

NGOs can fend for themselves. Yet, whenever some sort of financial assistance is given to them, you will definitely observe some government official basking in the limelight, without fail.

While their (government members etc.) presence is greatly felt, so is their absence. One such recent occasion was when MEP David Casa presented Fr Marcellino Micallef with the European Citizen’s Prize on the running of the Franciscan friars’ Valletta Soup Kitchen.

Either the government side was not informed beforehand of the event or they felt utterly ashamed in attending such pitiful standard of living events. That is to say, to the frustration of the many people who constantly queue up for their daily ration of food and use of amenities, this was not an event considered worthwhile to attend.

Anthony Saliba – St Paul’s Bay