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Opinion • April 4 2004

Hosanna Mr President!

Anna Mallia questions the Catholic credentials of Eddie Fenech Adami and says Alfred Sant should stay home

Today is Palm Sunday. It is the day when our Lord entered Jerusalem and was greeted with palm leaves. But today is also Presidential Sunday. It is the day when Dr Eddie Fenech Adami will enter Valletta and be greeted with honour and shouts of Hosanna as he invests in himself the title of President of Malta.

Sunday the day of the Lord
In Catholic Malta we were always brought up to believe that Sunday is the day of the Lord. It is the day of rest and of glory to our Lord. I remember that for endless times our bishops have scolded us for making the day of the Lord a normal day of work. As far I know, and correct me if I am wrong, the teaching of the Church has remained the same. Nowhere did I hear or read that Sunday is now no longer to be dedicated to God and that now the work of man and of God has the same standing.
Choosing Palm Sunday as the day when you crown yourself as President is a very audacious move indeed. It signifies that little do you care that you are marring this special day to Catholics and Christians alike by proclaiming yourself as President of a divided nation when even Nationalists have openly declared that they are against his nomination as President of the country.

Power becomes a drug
But history repeats itself and as is the norm with people who are in power for a long time, power becomes like a drug. They become so attached to it that they do not even bother to look around and respect the wishes of the people. In the case of the new President, Eddie Fenech Adami went one step further – he ignored Palm Sunday and the Catholic Church – and either by coincidence or on purpose - saw it befitting to enter Valletta and crown himself as President on a day when we are commemorating Jesus’ entry to Jerusalem as king of the Jews.

The Church inaction
I hope that I will not spot any member of the clergy or of the Curia present for this morning’s ceremony. Their presence would signify that they no longer hold Sunday as the day of the Lord and that the state can bend forward and backwards on the teachings of the Church. The Church today knows that the government made a huge mistake in selecting Sunday to hail Hosanna to its new President, and it is so unfortunate that it has remained silent on the matter. Little does it know that by today’s inaction, it has conveyed the message that it no longer considers Sunday as the day of the Lord.

God for votes
I know that certain politicians exchange God for votes. The religious performance of the former Prime Minister helped him build the image of an ardent Catholic faithful which attracted the votes of most of our clergymen and religious people. But politics and religion cannot go together and history has taught us that those who governed as Christians did not get re-elected. How can I call myself a Christian if I do not treat my fellow Maltese equal? How can I call myself a Christian if I do not practice what I preach? That is why I believe that no good politician can be a good Catholic.
In Maltese we have a saying that one cannot please God and the devil at the same time. Unfortunately, those who abide by it have no chance of climbing the ladder of success. Only those who please God and the devil can make it in the government and social circles. Just look at our Church, it preaches the teachings of Christ and than owns and administers a commercial bank with monies bequeathed to it for the salvation of the souls. Browse our newspapers and only those who got rich quick, or who were born rich or the yuppies make social news.

Labour’s stand
On the same note I cannot understand the stand taken by the Malta Labour Party. It voted against Fenech Adami as President and at the same time it is recognising him as the President of Malta. Alfred Sant said that he will be attending the ceremony in mourning – if he is in mourning it means that the Labour Party is in mourning. Correct me if I am wrong but people in mourning stay home to mourn their dead and not attend ceremonies and celebrations. Labour knows that Fenech Adami was a hard nut to crack under Alfred Sant and that Fenech Adami cannot and will never be recognized by the labour supporters as their President. Any person with a minimum of self-respect and of respect for the Labour party members and Labour supporters who suffered vindictiveness under Fenech Adami will not attend this morning’s ceremony. By doing so, he will be blessing all Fenech Adami’s misgivings and invite him for more.

No guardian of the Constituion
Labour knows that Fenech Adami has flouted our Constitution so that his dream of seeing Malta in the European Unions becomes a reality. It knows that Fenech Adami’s allegiance is towards his party and the European Union and not the Constitution of Malta. It knows that Fenech Adami cannot be trusted with the role of guardian of the Constitution as his office of President calls for. It knows that Fenech Adami does not have the support of the majority of the Maltese in his new role as President. So I cannot understand how notwithstanding Sant is honouring Fenech Adami with his presence.
I am not implying a boycott. Those who know me know that I do not imply things but state what I think and neither do I hide behind a nom-de-plume. I am saying that as respect to Labourites, Sant ought not to attend this ceremony. I understand that a boycott is hard work and the party cannot organise a boycott until it puts its house in order. But the least it can do is show Fenech Adami that just as he does not respect his office as guardian of the Constitution; neither are we Labourites going to respect him as President of Malta.
In the meantime, this morning whilst you are reading this paper, they are singing Hosanna to the new President as he enters the Palace, at the same time as Catholic Malta is singing Hosanna to Jesus as he enters Jerusalem.
And when one chooses the day of the ceremony to coincide with Palm Sunday, whether on purpose or by co-incidence, that is a very dangerous thing indeed!

 

 

 





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