Mark Montebello's blog

Ghaddiet sena ohra minn fuqna. Dan huwa inevitabbli. Imma ninsabu eqreb lejn it-‘Tieni Repubblika’ taghna? Ninsabu eqreb, kollettivament, lejn qaghda meta l-ewwel Repubblika, bil-valuri provincjali u settarji taghha, tnin ftit iehor u tmut ftit iehor? Niddubita. Ghaddejna sena ohra fl-Unjoni Ewropea minghajr ma sirna mqar ftit aktar Ewropej. Ghaddejna sena ohra fis-seklu 21 minghajr ma mqar ersaqna ftit aktar lejh. Ghaddiet sena ohra minghajr ma ftahna ghajnejna ghar-realtà gdida li, b’mod persistenti, qieghda thabbat mal-bieb tal-gharfien taghna. L-unika tama L-unika tama taghna tinsab mhux f’dak li gej ‘minn fuq’, imma f’dak li gej ‘minn isfel’; mill-ilhna li mhumiex jinstemghu; mill-personalitajiet li qeghdin jigu injorati; minn nies komuni li m’ghandhom ebda setgha politika; minn Maltin u Ghawdxin li qed jimxu triqathom minkejja l-hrafa ‘officjuza’ li jibqghu jghixu l-hekk imsejjha ‘mexxejja’ taghna. Fil-fatt, dal-‘mexxejja’ m’huma qed imexxu lil hadd (ghajr l-ambizzjonijiet ...

IL-HMISTAX-IL PARTI Il-problema ewlenija bl-istituzzjonijiet taghna tallum (inkluz dawk religjuzi) proprjament mhijiex li l-bicca l-kbira tal-poplu taghna qed jonqos mir-rispett u l-fiducja taghna fihom―kif xi whud jibqghu jsostnu―, imma l-problema ewlenija hi li huma ma nbidlux istituzzjonalment fin-nuqqas fundamentali ta’ rispett lejna u fiducja fina. Dan japplika ghall-istituzzjonijiet civili daqskemm ghal dawk religjuzi; ghall-mezzi kollha ta’ kontroll li juzaw halli jikkonservaw is-setgha taghhom daqskemm ghall-operaturi u l-amministraturi ufficjali taghhom. L-involviment tieghek Bhala parti mis-socjetà Maltija, anki int b’xi mod jew iehor taghmel parti mill-fenomenu religjuz ta’ dawn il-gzejjer. Kwazi kwazi minghajr ma trid, illum jew ghada se jkollok, jekk ma tihux sehem attiv f’certi diskussjonijiet pubblici li jirrigwardaw hwejjeg li jmissu mal-morali u etika, ghallanqas tifforma opinjoni personali dwarhom. Forsi digà ffurmajt xi tip ta’ opinjoni dwar xi whud mill-kwestjo...

An answer to Mr Ramzy Baroud I refer to Mr Ramzy Baroud’s article “The Hypocrisy of Al-Demoqratia”, published on www.plsanpawl.com and elsewhere (for example: www.plsanpawl.com, www.scoop.co.nz, www.democraticunderground.com, www.countercurrents.org, tweetmeme.com). This website’s editors may be unaware that the very same article had been also published under the title “Why Muslims ‘hate democracy’” (see: www.maannews.net, twitter.com). Mr Baroud is to be respected for his commitment towards the Palestinian cause. Also for the terrible experiences he had, even within his own family, with the aggression and injustice of Israelis against the Palestinians. He is to be appreciated as an author ( My Father Was a Freedom Fighter , The Second Palestinian Intifada , and Searching Jenin ) and as an intellectual. Furthermore, he is to be respected for not succumbing to despair, and giving his share against such great odds (as his website, www.ramzybaroud.net, proves). The article refer...

L-ERBATAX-IL PARTI L-applikazzjoni konkreta mill-Knisja Kattolika lokali tal-principji tat-taghlim socjali taghha jista’ jkollu kemm effett pozittiv kif ukoll effett negattiv fuq il-valuri spiritwali tal-Maltin u l-Ghawdxin. L-effett pozittiv jista’ jkun li bosta nies fostna se jkomplu jissostitwixxu t-twemmin arkajku Kattoliku b’twemmin u agir iehor aktar relevanti u sinifikani, bhal dawk fid-drittijiet tal-bniedem, fil-valuri umani, fil-libertajiet tal-individwu, fil-gustizzja socjali, fil-harsien tal-ambjent u tal-hlejjaq hajjin kollha, u f’valuri ohra bhal dawn. Dan aktarx ma jeskludix li, fil-process, aktar Maltin u Ghawdxin se jkomplu jhaddnu forom religjuzi u spiritwalitajiet li jivvaforixxu u jinkuraggixxu dan it-tip ta’ valuri. Setgha u fiducja Min-naha l-ohra, l-effett negattiv jista’ jkun li nies ohrajn fostna―nittamaw mhux hafna―se jkomplu jissostitwixxu t-twemmin Kattoliku b’twemmin u agir li jivvaforixxu u jinkuraggixxu biss forom ekonomici ossessjonati li jaghmlu pr...

IT-TLETTAX-IL PARTI Fir-realtà, x’effetti konkreti qed ihallu l-qaghda tal-Kattolicizmu fil-gzejjer Maltin, il-prattika Kattolika, il-firda tar-religjon mill-ispiritwalità, id-diversifikazzjoni qawwija tal-fenomenu religjuz f’Malta u Ghawdex, u r-religjonijet emergenti, l-aktar dik Islamika, fil-hajja socjali u politika tal-gzejjer Maltin? Privileggi politici Digà semmejna aktar kmieni li, ghallanqas fuq livell ufficjali jew burokratiku, l-amministrazzjoni governattiva tkompli temmen fil-predominanza kulturali tal-Knisja Kattolika. Fil-fatt, dan forsi jkompli jishaq il-qawwa folkloristika ta’ din il-religjon fil-gzejjer Maltin, haga li l-gvern aktarx iqisha importanti li jibqa’ jaghraf, imqar ghas-siwi romantiku tal-haga jew ghall-konvenjenza politika tieghu. Imma min-naha tal-Knisja Kattolika jidher li hemm siwi aktar minn hekk. Xejn xejn, dan jibqa’ xi ftit jew wisq jassigura l-harsien tal-privileggi politici li kisbet matul is-sekli, anki jekk il-bazi popolari taghha―f’termin...

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...