Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1028264
19 LETTERS & EDITORIAL maltatoday | SUNDAY • 16 SEPTEMBER 2018 Rosary rally – a work of charity not hate THE Maltese Society for Christian Civilisation – Pro Malta Christiana notes the clear leftist-liberal ideologi- cal bent of the report "Anti-gay 'rosary rally' led by former AN candidate" (10 September, 2018). A number of clari- fications are in order if MaltaToday wishes to respect the intelligence of its readers. The public prayer of the rosary in Valletta is not "a Catholic traditional- ist" rally as incorrectly asserted; rather it is the gathering of Catholics to pray a public prayer promoted by the Catholic Church for centuries. There is nothing "traditionalist" about hold- ing a Rosary Rally witnessed by the hundreds of rosary rallies held around the world over recent years. It is mistaken to think it is "tradi- tionalist" to invoke God's mercy or to pray for the conversion of those who fall into homosexual sin. The Catechism of the Catholic Church published in 1994 clearly teaches that homosexuality is contrary to nature, and that homosexual acts are "intrin- sically disordered", "contrary to the Natural Law" and "under no circum- stances can they be approved" (CCC, para 2357). Pro Malta Christiana's fidelity to the Church's 2,000 immutable year-old teachings on sexual morality is an ob- ligation of fidelity to the truth. Hence the veiled insinuation that Pro Malta Christiana is not as aligned as other lay organisations with Pope Francis, lacks substance. Pope Francis himself has called homosexual marriage "de- monic" and has consistently criticised the movers and shakers of so-called gender ideology, something MaltaTo- day conveniently overlooks. In terms of Pro Malta Christiana President Philip Beattie being a for- mer "anti-immigration politician" it should be noted that Mr Beattie has always been opposed to illegal im- migration of economic migrants and pseudo refugees, and not against im- migration in principle. Unlike MaltaToday, there are those who still believe that any form of im- migration should be conditioned by the common good of host nations in order to avoid situations of grave dis- equilibrium in the social, economic and moral spheres. The foregoing, incidentally, is the traditional Catholic teaching on immigration. MaltaToday's tendentious article fails to obscure the fact that Pro Malta Christiana members are Roman and Apostolic Catholics, conscious of their duty to proclaim and defend the integ- rity of Catholic truth and what's left of Christian civilization in our country. This is a work of charity not hate. Ryan Penza, Pro Malta Christiana Clerical corruption THE Pennsylvania Grand Jury recently reported that over a 70-year period, 300 Catholic priests in six dioceses took advantage of their priestly voca- tion to seduce innocent children. On the day of their ordination, those priests prostrated themselves on the Church floor in front of their bishop and in view of their parents and rela- tives. Their hands were anointed with "holy chrism" and they dedicated themselves to a life of piety and chas- tity in the priesthood. How did those 300 priests fall from piety to depravity? Part of the answer lies in the fact that, when young men decide to become priests, they underes- timate what they are committing them- selves to. Since they are still in their youth, they do not fully comprehend that they have to suppress their natural impulses throughout their 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s and beyond. The day will come when they can't take it anymore. In their sexual frustra- tion, they end up seducing women or making sexual advances towards other men or, worst of all, they prey on inno- cent children. John Guillaumier, St Julian's Mikiel Galea Letters & Clarifications