Mark Montebello's blog

IT-TNAX-IL  PARTI Meta nitkellmu dwar religjositajiet jew spiritiwalitajiet ta’ xejra ‘moderna’, l-ewwel ma forsi ghandhom jigi f’mohhna f’dan ir-rigward huwa x-xjentologisti. Il-Knisja tax-Xjentologija bdiet fis-snin hamsin tas-seklu l-iehor minn Lafayette Ronald Hubbard (1911–1986) u hija mifruxa mad-dinja kollha. Fil-gzejjer taghna l-bosta Maltin u Ghawdxin li xi ftit jew wisq jemmnu fit-taghlim xjentolgu mhumiex ftit. Minkejja li dawn jidher li jzommu profil baxx fix-xena pubblika, il-prezenza taghhom fil-fenomenu religjuz tas-socjetà Maltija kontemporanja aktarx ma tistax titqies insinifikanti. Drittijiet umani Twemmin iehor, forsi anqas maghruf bhala tali, imma b’daqshekk mhux anqas ‘religjuz’, huwa dak fid-drittijiet tal-bniedem. Id-‘Dikjarazzjoni Universali tad-Drittijiet tal-Bniedem’, maghmula mill-Gnus Maghquda fl-1948, tista’ titqies bhala l-quccata ta’ riflessjoni relattivament gdida dwar il-bniedem u l-hajja tieghu f’kull aspett taghha. Izda dan id-dokument ta wko...

The Most Holy Cross and, more specifically, the Crucifix, are a Christian’s most beautiful and noble symbol of the Faith. They depict, in graphic terms, the most perfect Word of God to us, who expresses Himself best in silence, and accomplishes best when immobile. I believe that the Cross or, better, the Crucifix, is the best school of Faith. There was a time when the Most Holy Cross/Crucifix was shown everywhere. And yet, the world was still a depressing and highly dangerous place, as some maintain it is today. We had, and still have, the Cross flaunted in our courtrooms, and yet judges and chief-judges were bribed, and people still bear false witness. We had, and still have, the Cross flaunted in our homes, and yet people still commit adultery, swear, mistreat their wives, husbands and children. We had, and still have, the Cross flaunted in our streets, and yet people still abuse each other. So on and so forth. My point is that it is not flaunting the Cross that is a true sign of...

It has become very frequent that some people, particularly committed Catholics, to express an earnest fear of secularisation. The word seems to conjure up in their mind a myriad of hideous evils: impiety, licentiousness, decadence, shamelessness, and many more iniquities. The very terms ‘secular society’ seem to be simply and univocally identified with ungodliness. Of course, considering this frame of mind, it is perfectly understandable that such people feel threatened by secularisation or even terrified out of their wits by the prospect that Malta and Gozo are slowly and surely succumbing to such a prospect. It is possible, however, that such dread may well be injudicious. In political philosophy, the term ‘secularisation’ (or, more specifically, ‘secularisation of the State’) generally refers to the separation of State and Church. Though the term itself was not explicitly used in this sense before the mid-19th century (by George Holyoake, for instance), the concept has a long hist...

IL-HDAX-IL PARTI L-insara Ortodossi jew Protestanti li hawn f’Malta ghad m’ghandhomx fostna qafas religjuz bizzejjed zviluppat istituzzjonalment biex jasserixxu lilhom infushom b’mod aktar ufficjali u pubbliku, u forsi ghalissa lanqas huma interessati hafna f’dan. Imma ’l quddiem aktarx li din is-sitwazzjoni ma tibqax hekk u l-affarijiet ikollhom jinbidlu halli jinholoq spazju ghalihom ukoll. Tkabbir ta’ religjonijiet Xi whud jistghu jaraw il-prezenza ta’ dawn ir-religjonijiet u t-tkabbir taghhom bhala xi tip ta’ intruzjoni jew anki ta’ theddida ghal dik li jobsru hija l-identità Maltija. Il-verità hi li dawn il-fenomeni jaghmlu parti integrali minn din l-identità, li, fl-ahhar mill-ahhar (bhalma rajna fix-xbieha grafika ta’ fuq), hi xi haga li dejjem inbidlet, qieghda tinbidel u tibqa’ tinbidel. Barra l-prezenza ta’ dawn ir-religjonijiet fil-gzejjer Maltin, wiehed ma jistax ma jaghrafx komunitajiet ohra stabbiliti istituzzjonalment li aktarx la huma mdaqqsa daqs dawk li ghadna ...

L-GHAXAR PARTI Aktar profond minn dawn l-affarijiet xi ftit jew wisq superficjali li juru li l-istat civili ghadu jqis ir-religjon Kattolika bhala dik li tirrapprezenta n-nazzjon Malti anki jekk mhuwiex hekk fir-realtà, jidher li mhijiex rari li diversi diskussjonijiet u decizjonijiet tal-gvern jigu rregolati mill-morali Kattolika, allavolja din il-morali aktarx m’ghadhiex imhaddna mill-bicca l-kbira tal-poplu Malti u Ghawdxi. Lanqas ma huwa rari li certi diskussjonijiet ma jsirux, u certi decizjonijiet ma jittiehdux, minhabba l-oppozizzjoni probabbli li l-Knisja Kattolika tista’ taghmel ghalihom. B’mod partikulari, dan narawh f’kwestjonijiet li jorbtu, nghidu ahna, mad-divorzju, il-prostituzzjoni, iz-zwieg, id-drittijiet tal-omosesswali u kwestjonijiet ohra li ghandhom x’jaqsmu mal-bijoetika. Recentement, xi nies qrib hafna tal-gvern, inkluz xi ministru u membri parlamentari tal-gvern, sa anki kienu pproponew li r-rifjut tal-abort ghandu jigi mnaqqax fil-Kostituzzjoni tal-pajjiz, a...

ID-DISA' PARTI Xi whud aktarx zviluppaw il-pozizzjoni li jifirdu r-religjon mill-ispiritwalità f’reazzjoni ghal dak li kienet il-Knisja Kattolika, specjalment fuq il-livell lokali, fl-ahhar hamsin sena u aktar. Din il-firda jidher li giet iggenerata minn ghadd ta’ kawzi, fosthom, b’mod generali, id-dubju fl-istituzzjonijiet, l-isfiducja fl-awtoritajiet, il-kontradizzjonijiet apparenti bejn diversi oqsma ta’ taghlim religjuz, in-nuqqas ta’ qbil bejn it-teorija religjuza u l-prattika, il-pika bejn membri ta’ religjonijiet differenti, in-nuqqas ta’ awtenticità li jaraw fil-Knisja Kattolika, ir-rikkezza tal-Vatikan, l-istorja mdemma tar-religjonijiet, id-dubji ideologici mnissla mir-riflessjonijiet ta’ xjenzati u filosfi kbar, l-access ghal studji u stharrig li jimmina s-sisien tat-twemmin religjuz, l-inkonsistenza apparenti tal-Bibbja, u hwejjeg bhal dawn. Religjosità personalizzata B’dan il-mod, ir-religjozità ta’ bosta nies tidher li saret aktar personalizzata. Dan ifisser li a...

IT-TMIEN PARTI F’dawn l-ahhar snin, bil-bidla fil-kap lokali taghha, il-Knisja Kattolika ppruvat, aktarx ghat-tieni darba f’hamsin sena, tirkupra d-dannu serju li kien sar bit-thaddin ta’ din il-politika ekklezjastika. Imma l-bidla tidher li kienet xi ftit jew wisq kosmetika. Ghallanqas ma jidhirx li ghad hemm xi pjan strategiku mahsub serjament sabiex jinbidlu l-istrutturi tal-Knisja Kattolika halli tkun istituzzjoni li tkun tixraq aktar ir-realtà moderna jew il-htigijiet kontemporanji tal-poplu Malti u Ghawdxi. Sens ta’ individwalizmu Id-distakk minn maghha li l-politika ekklezjastika kwazi kwazi imponiet fuq il-membri taghha bejn wiehed u l-iehor fl-ahhar terz tas-seklu ghoxrin aktarx ghen sabiex kabbar is-siwi li l-bicca l-kbira tan-nies bdew jaghtu lill-individwalità taghhom. Dan tkompla jissahhah b’tishiq qawwi fuq libertajiet li qabel ma kinux maghrufa wisq f’Malta u Ghawdex, bhal-libertà ta’ azzjoni, il-libertà tal-espressjoni, il-libertà tal-kult u hwejjeg bhal dawn. Da...