Letters • February 29 2004

The Ring’s Delay
Joseph G Bonett
Ghajnsielem

His Grace Bishop Nicholas Joseph Cauchi, as is his style, delivered a balanced, well thought out but pointed homily at the annual mass for journalists in Gozo. His message was admirably conveyed to the whole islands through the TVM programme ‘Ghawdex Illum.’ I for one find no difficulty in having this prelate continue ministering though past the normal canonical retirement date.
On the other hand, some of his close collaborators need, I believe, to re-evaluate their commitments. Rev George Mercieca is a valid contributor to the local press but I found jarring a recent contribution of his becrying the delay in having ‘The Lord of the Rings’ screened at a small commercial outlet in Gozo. I would have thought Rev George Mercieca would have been of greater service as one involved in the field of social communications to propagandise for such cinematografic productions as the true life film ‘Victoria Guerrin’ with its strong anti-drug message at which attendance in one session in Gozo was less than a dozen. Or I would have thought that Rev George Mercieca would have lambasted and not promoted the said commercial outlet in Gozo for screening, to packed halls, a quasi-pornographic film, more dangerous as cloaked in humour. And as a journalist, Rev George Mercieca apart from the spiritual welfare of his Gozitan confreres thinks nothing of their health and safety? The film he moaned about ‘The Lord of the rings’ is 4 hours long – did he not feel apprehensive for so many cinema-goers sitting in a not very large hall in the most densely congested area in Victoria?
Apart from the commercial outlet promoted by Rev George Mercieca, one or two of his colleagues do their best to offer wholesome fare at a much larger and healthier venue in a much less traffic dense area of Victoria, but of these not a single word.
And contrary to Rev George Mercieca’s assertion, I do not feel discriminated against because I have to cross over to Malta to earn a living. In fact I feel thankful for the new ferries, new buses and safer Cirkewwa quays.