The last book I read was The power of silence: against the tyranny of noise, by Cardinal Robert Sarah. He states that “Silence speaks more than words! Silence of eternity is silence of great surprise! Man, who does not possess God in his heart and his body, is greedy for money and power! Together let us stop those who achieved power and greatness through fraud and bribery.”
Those Gozitans who gained power, especially those who took an oath to care, plan, defend and take care of the small but unique island of Calypso, need to remember that this oath, taken in the name of all Gozitans, has set a huge responsibility on them to embellish and promote life for the better.
If we study and deeply analyse the actual situation of Gozo today we can have dramatic answers as vandalism, bullying and arrogance. After a long and profound reflection, I came up with this question: who gave them the power to destroy our glorious history?
I received a message from a friend of mine, who lives in Rome but who loves visiting Gozo frequently. His messages are always full of disapproval. He is protesting because he truly loves the beauty and uniqueness of our dear island of Gozo. In his last message he asked me: “Are the Gozitans such cowards? They need to wake up and preserve Gozo. I define what is happening in Gozo as arrogance. One day, your children will condemn the vandalism which is happening in Gozo. Wake up and be counted.”
The insolence to ruin the environment, the harmony, the beauty and the silence of Gozo can be felt all over the island. I am sure that even the caves, the rubble walls, the stones are silently protesting and if they had the opportunity to shout, they would simply say: “Are you mad? Gozo does not belong to the few powerful people who are destroying it but to all the Gozitans who lived and are still living there. Why are most of the Gozitans silent? Are you only interested in your farmhouse or your flat?”
Are we dreaming to build a tunnel? Do we need it? I think that we do not need it as Gozo would stop being attractive to both Maltese and foreigners.
The Constitution of Vatican II, Gaudium et Spes, says in its introduction: “The Church is not an expert in these matters in a technical sense. But as Pope St Paul VI said, the Church is an expert in humanity. In Christ, the Church knows the full truth about the human person: his or her dignity, capacity to know and love God, social nature and fulfilment in love.”
What about you theologians, historians, publishers, moralists? Why don’t you voice your opinion?- Fr Charles Cini
Stop ruining our island. Is this the example we are giving to our children? Gozo belongs more to them than to us as they have more years to live. The gorgeousness of Gozo is desecrated, ruined, humiliated and violated. Gozo is becoming a jungle with all the high-rise and horrible tall buildings. You artists, architects, poets, musicians and others: what is your opinion on what is happening?
What about you theologians, historians, publishers, moralists? Why don’t you voice your opinion? Are you emotionally afraid to defend your native island? I deeply think that the biggest problem is egoism, an attitude of gross disregard. As I take it, you are all leaving those who care for their traditional, historical and unique houses and buildings to egoistically fight your personal battle.
The many books that I have heartily published about Gozo had only one aim, namely, to defend and diffuse the charm and beauty of the island while keeping in mind our cultural roots. I wanted to enrich the patrimony and heritage of our glorious Gozo. We have a great responsibility to wholeheartedly educate our youngsters so they would nourish deep in their hearts the love towards the traditions, heritage and the need to build a better future.
I conclude with a quotation from Pope Francis’s Laudato Si, his encyclical letter on the care of our common home (no. 145).
“Many intensive forms of environmental exploitation and degradation not only exhaust the resources which provide local communities with their livelihood but also undo the social structures which, for a long time, shaped cultural identity and their sense of the meaning of life and community.”
As Robert F. Kennedy, a martyr for justice and truth used to say: “Life is all about choices. Always we must do our best to make the right ones and always take the lesson from the wrong ones. When the whole island is running towards the cliff, he who is running in the opposite direction always appears to have lost his mind.”
The former prime minister of Italy, Giulio Andreotti, my friend, used to tell me: “Gozo is enchanting, try to keep its identity.”
Each time a courageous man stands up for an ideal or acts to improve the lots of others, or strikes out against injustice, he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope. Beauty creates emotions and thoughts in our heart.
It is beauty that will save the world. It is beauty that can save our beautiful island of Gozo.
La cultura del brutto e dei soldi! Meditate gente, meditate!
Fr Charles Cini, member, Salesians of Don Bosco