After the cross, it had to be the saints to march in at the new state of the art hospital.
Nurses and hospital staff who are gradually moving in at the Tal-Qroqq hospital from St Luke’s are taking with them their holy pictures, crosses and other religious paraphernalia to adorn the walls and corners at their new place of work.
Sources said that already, managers at the new hospital have removed holy pictures of San Gorg Preca, Blessed Injazju Falzon and Adeodata Pisani, among others, cluttering the place.
“The Mother of God is definitely not on her own here,” one of the managers said. “If nobody intervenes the hospital is bound to be turned into a basilica.”
Yet holy pictures with flowers arranged in front of them and flickering candles are taken as customary additions to every ward at St Luke’s, besides the countless crucifixes affixed in every room – not altogether out of place given the tradition of naming every new government hospital and school for saints and sacred themes.
In fact, the Mater Dei management is “drafting a policy” that would somehow regulate the influx of holy icons in the church of medicine.
“At the moment there is no such policy forbidding holy pictures within the hospital,” said Mater Dei’s communications officer Chris Scicluna, dismissing reports of hundreds of holy pictures already cluttering the hospital as “a gross exaggeration”.
“A policy is being drafted regarding these requests,” Scicluna added. “We respect the values, beliefs and wishes of our patients and their relatives and the policy will reflect this”.
And who knows, Mater Dei might be end up a centre of ecumenism when Malta comes to terms with European values of diversity – although the idea that God had a mother might be blasphemous to some religions. But then again, whatever your faith, it will be definitely be the best place to practice resuscitation.