Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1505544
maltatoday | SUNDAY • 27 MARCH 2022 OPINION 3 LETTERS & EDITORIAL maltatoday | SUNDAY • 13 AUGUST 2023 Mikiel Galea Letters & Clarifications Cardinal Grech's faux pas CARDINAL Mario Grech's unveiling of a plaque at the Qala parish church commemorating his own baptism smacks of narcissism and gratuitous pompousness. Whoever has a plaque marking his own baptism? Whoever dreamt up the idea has no understanding of the simple church Pope Francis has tried to nurture throughout his papacy. But more dis- turbing is Mgr Grech agreeing to it at all. His inability to see that such an act of puerile earthliness does no favours to him, the church and its message of love, simplicity and compassion, is astonishing. The cardinal has over the years bravely hit out at excesses in feasts that only serve to alienate people from the word of God. He was not one to shy away from self-criticism of what he often described as clericalism that stifles the church. But he now seems to have forgotten his own words, engaging in an act of self-indulgence that does nothing to help people discover the beauty of Christ's teachings. This was a faux pas by Cardinal Grech. R. Farrugia Żabbar Taxing banks to subsidise energy GIORGIA Meloni's government in Italy has just announced a 40% wind- fall tax on bank profits to cream off the extraordinarily high profits made on the back of a rapid hike in interest rates. The Italian government has defend- ed the decision by saying the income derived from the measure will go to help people struggling with higher repayments for home loans. Windfall taxes on bank profits have been introduced in some other EU countries, including Spain, as house- holds see their income erode because of higher inflation. I see no reason why the Maltese government should not do likewise and consider introducing a one-off tax on banks to help finance the subsidies on energy and fuel thus reducing the pressure on public finances. John Schembri Gzira I am scared I am still perturbed by the scenes of blood splashed over a white car and on the street, I witnessed outside the Qawra parish church last Sunday. By that time, the injured people had already been taken to hospital but I was left wondering what could have happened to me had I been passing from the area just an hour earlier. Last Sunday's fight is not the first one to take place in the locality. Un- fortunately, unruliness has become the order of the day. Although anti-social behaviour or criminal acts like those witnessed on Sunday cannot be blamed exclusively on foreigners, experience suggests there is a high propensity of such inci- dents being caused by non-Maltese. I am scared and saying this does not make me a racist. All I want is the serenity to live peacefully in my com- munity. I hope I am not asking too much. A. Spiteri St Paul's Bay