Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1044434
19 LETTERS & EDITORIAL maltatoday | SUNDAY • 28 OCTOBER 2018 Paul's homosexuality IN the article 'Paul's homosexuality: rumour or reality?', Marian T. Horvat, Ph.D., refers to an interview in the Italian magazine Tempo (April 1976) in which French author Roger Peyre- fitte accused Pope Paul VI of being a homosexual, after he expressed his disapproval of homosexuality in a homily (January 1976). These accusations were repeated in 1994 by Franco Bellegrandi – a professor of modern history at Inns- bruck University who was a member of the Vatican Noble Guard – in his book Nichitaroncalli. "In Rome and throughout Italy, the rumour was that Paul VI was a homosexual. When he was Archbishop of Milan, he was caught by the police one night wear- ing civilian clothes and in not so laud- able company." Archbishop Montini was said to have had "a special friendship with an actor... The relationship continued and became closer in the years ahead. An official of the Vatican security forces told me this favourite of Mon- tini was allowed to come and go freely in the pontifical apartments, and that he had often been seen taking the papal elevator at night." John Guillaumier St Julian's Fool's paradise KINDLY allow me to refer to the let- ter titled 'Malta besmirched' by cor- respondent Rebecca Bartolo Cutajar (MaltaToday, October 21, 2018) wherein the following was stated: "The murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia was a condemnable act of evil that merits the full weight of justice. Maltese law enforcement rose up to the challenge and charged three per- sons with murder...", by telling cor- respondent that, instead of boasting that three people, still presumed in- nocent, were arraigned in a law court, she should have asked whether the fact that the person who has commis- sioned the murder has not been in- dicted, even though the assassination was carried out on October 16, 2017, might suggest a massive cover-up in order not to compromise politically exposed persons. Edward Torpiano Floriana The shocking truth in those bills LET us have another look at those electricity bills, issued as they are six times a year, each covering a two- month period. As many now know, the billing system adopted by ARMS over the past five years had a vile catch that was not there before 2013. Pre-2013 the eco-reduction was calculated on the basis of one year, intended to try to even out the fluctuating consump- tion over different periods of the year. Let us take an example where a household had a quota of 3,600 units yearly for it to benefit from such reduction. Pre-2013 it was irrelevant what the household consumed during dif- ferent periods of the year, for what was considered was whether the consumption for the whole year ex- ceeded its quota of 3,600 units. If for the whole year that house- hold did not exceed its quota, ir- respective of whether it did exceed its quota pro rata when a bill was issued, then the household was enti- tled to its full eco-reduction. According to the current system, where each of the six bills covers two months, then the quota for the household would be calculated for each of the two-month period, that is one-sixth of 3,600 units, or 600 units. If for one of these two-month pe- riods the consumption of this house- hold is 500 units, that is 100 units below its quota, then those 100 units are irretrievably lost and are not car- ried over for the remaining part of the year. This loss means that for that whole year this household will not benefit from the full reduction in its bill as it would have benefited pre-2013. But the catch that is most vile of all is this: Since six bills are issued yearly, the consumer risks losing out on Eco- reduction six times. It would not come as a surprise for ARMS to take this hoax one step further and issue bills on a monthly basis, again duping the thousands, who have been believing that elec- tricity bills have been slashed over the past five years, into believing that their consumption has become cheaper. And so, with twelve bills issued yearly, the consumer would run the risk of being gypped for twelve times. With the duped showering more eye-watering praise on the govern- ment's utility arm for receiving next- to-nothing bills when compared with the six-monthly bills they received pre-2013, ARMS, gloating at the prospect, would then start issuing bills every seven days. Fifty-two such bills in the year. With further ear-shattering, eye- watering applause from the duped multitude. Joe Genovese Birkirkara Mikiel Galea Letters & Clarifications