It was with great interest that I read an article last week by Mr Zahra de Domenico on the St John’s projects. It now transpires from this article that the entity that MEPA is legally obliged to consult on St John’s Co-Cathedral is the Church Cultural Heritage Commission.
This commission, it seems, has given MEPA a negative verdict on the project, as have the Chapter of Church Monsegneurs, all of whom voted against it, with one abstention. So why exactly is the Church, which controls half of the Foundation, continuing with this project which has been pronounced as “utter madness”?
Hasn’t the Church better things to do with its money than throw thousands of euros into a useless Environment Impact Assessment?
In this moment of economic and energy crisis, how can the State justify wasting what is ultimately taxpayers’ money on an Environment Impact Assessment for a project that is clearly unsustainable, due to its heavy dependence on air-conditioning and dehumidification and which has been described by MEPA as a ‘non-starter’.
Where have all the Prime Minister’s promises about sustainability and fiscal governance gone?
Added to the two entities above, I have read that the Valletta Local Council had expressed serious reservations, and similarly the Valletta Rehabilitation Committee had ruled out excavations both in St John’s Square and at Piazza San Gorg.
Restorer Sante Guido, who has been working on the Cathedral restoration for years, as well as the NGOs Flimkien Ghall Ambjent Ahjar and Friends of the Earth, have also pronounced themselves against the project.
Now excuse my ignorance, but is anyone actually in favour of this project other than the Foundation? Could it be that the “one very powerful man” – who a blogger has quoted as “thinking it’s a good idea” – is Malta’s Ambassador to the EU, Richard Cachia Caruana, who features on the Co-Cathedral’s website as a director of the St John’s Foundation?
Does that explain why this rather capricious project found favour and secured EU funding to the tune of €14 million when other far more essential works like rebuilding the Opera House are ignored?
Is this the same Cachia Caruana who had wanted to create a Majolica museum under the Auberge de Castille, where it was said that works on this project were halted due to damage caused to the structure of this palace?
The Foundation has repeatedly stated that it has St John’s Cathedral’s interests at heart. I respectfully submit that is not enough, as we all know “the road to Hell is paved with good intentions.”

Francesca Meilaq
London

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