Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1127413
19 LETTERS & EDITORIAL maltatoday | SUNDAY • 9 JUNE 2019 Mikiel Galea Alleluia WITH reference to letter "Memorial Service" (25 April 2019), John Guil- laumier wrote that ruin will befall the Roman Catholic Church some day in the future. This, of course, will be im- possible to reconcile with the Master's guarantee that He will be with the dis- ciples till the end of the world (Matt. 28:20). It is to be noted that despite unprec- edented relentless persecution and the cleric sex scandals, the Jesus movement has certainly enthralled whole nations and became the world's largest reli- gion. And, wonder of wonders, it is still growing. Even Europe, until lately the only continent thought off as being irrevers- ibly secular, is certainly shifting back to Christianity now. Thomas Hardy's poem "God's Fu- neral" never advocated atheism or even implied that God is "dead". Rather, it described the ascent of atheism as ac- cepted thought in the Western world. It is a completely absorbing view of the Victorian despair surrounding the demythologising of God. The poorest man is not the one who has no money, but the one without God. And if it is accepted that there is a worldwide gradual return and em- bracing of Christianity, then the ever- growing Church congregations surely enter their places of worship not for a memorial service but for thanksgiving, adoration and gratitude to Him who did so much for His people to rejoice this Easter time. John Azzopardi, Zabbar Kitschy stamps MALTAPOST is supposed to be a secular institution. Yet, the stamps it prints depict doll-like statues of baby Jesus and kitschy statues of saints, typi- cal of the aesthetic horrors of Maltese devotional 'art'. John Guillaumier, St Julian's Gozo tunnel YOUR survey (2 June, 2019) does not reflect what the real situation is in Gozo: you have to be a Gozitan living in Gozo, not for weekend breaks, to understand what Gozitans are going through especially during this present administration, which failed miserably to deliver what they promised on ac- cessibility from Gozo to Malta. I am quoting only the 72% of Gozi- tans who according to your survey opted for the tunnel project, as I strongly feel that this is an issue which concerns mainly Gozitans, our present and future way of life and conditions. You surveyed Gozitans when the present state of accessibility is a real shame thanks to the present govern- ment – long queues to board the ferry especially during weekends, no alterna- tive berthing facilities have been pro- vided for heavy commercial vehicles instead of Sa Maison, at the same time contributing to the already high emis- sions levels; no fast ferry, no fast lane for priority boarding and, last but not least, the helicopter service. Even more, to add insult to injury, last week Transport Malta issued a re- quest for proposals for the introduction of a public ferry from Marfa, Cirkewwa and Comino – ignoring Gozo as if non-existent. This is how we are being treated by our Maltese counterparts. This leads me to outline that once Gozitans are not being adequately served with the accessibility they de- serve, and which should have been available years ago, then you can rightly assume that Gozitans may opt for the tunnel. How about surveying whether Gozi- tans are satisfied with the present ac- cessibility arrangements? Maybe you do not want to embarrass the govern- ment with this issue or may be marking time until we have the 32-year-old Ro- Ro ferry operated by Greek personnel as if we Maltese and Gozitans do not have the capabilities to run and main- tain this museum piece. I am sure that your survey will be quoted in the near future by those exponents promoting this so-called tunnel project for which no reports and studies have been issued although promised months ago. Everyone, especially Gozitans, would have appreciated a more realistic sur- vey which reflects present accessibil- ity conditions than to focus on what the situation may be in the long run. Keynes rightly said, "in the long run we are all dead". Emmanuel J Galea, Victoria PN co-option SINCE Gozo councillor Kevin Cutajar has requested the Nationalist Party to outline the next steps for co-opting a new MP to replace David Stellini, one can ask wether it would be fair and just if the party were to arbitrarily ex- clude all the other non-elected Gozo candidates who, together with himself, contested the 13th electoral district on June 3, 2017. These were Joseph Ellis, Censu Galea, Ryan Mercieca, Charles Polidano, Ma- ria Portelli and Jason Zammit. It seems to me to be fairer and more transpar- ent were everyone to be provided with a chance to contest the co-option by means of a secret vote. Edward Torpiano, Floriana Letters & Clarifications