Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/315336
maltatoday, WEDNESDAY, 21 MAY 2014 8 News Clergy dispute validity of survey findings Siblings awarded €56,800 after mother's death TIM ATTARD MONTALTO MEMBERS of the local clergy have disputed the validity and repre- sentative nature of results which emerged in a survey published last week by the Church on behalf of the Vatican. Amongst its findings, the survey revealed that 72.5% of a sam- ple of 1,590 respondents said that they were not familiar with Catholic teaching, while 17.4% had 'substan- tial knowledge' of its doctrine. Moreover, the survey showed that 18.8% of respondents found it diffi- cult to follow the Church's teachings on contraception and birth control, while 75% believed that the process of marriage annulment should be a more straightforward one. Contacted by MaltaToday for his reaction to the survey findings, lo- cal priest Fr Colin Apap preferred to focus on the 'faulty' methodology used to gather the data. "The survey, for instance, does not explicitly state what age groups were consulted," he said. "But there seems to have been a bias in favour of the elderly. Therefore, the Church can- not really take the results seriously." Apap said that the questionnaire was sent to all households in Mal- ta and Gozo, and despite a total of 7,000 people responding to the sur- vey, the number was originally go- ing to be much lower. "From what I understand, the figure increased considerably after it became appar- ent that the level of participation was going to be very low. "It was as if they panicked, re-dis- tributed a few of the questionnaires and urged people to fill them in. The problem is that most of these people seem to have been elderly persons. Good research is, quite simply, not done in this way." Pressed on his reaction to the survey results, Apap said that the Church will not alter its teachings, but admitted that it also needed to ally them to a contemporary social context. "The Church might need to adapt its teachings in light of various social phenomena." Describing, for instance, the long waiting period of marriage an- nulment as "obscene" – a process which 75% of respondents believed should be fast-tracked – Apap ac- cepted that the issue needed to be addressed. "Why should someone have to wait 10 years when his or her reason for applying for an an- nulment is clear and justified?" he said. "It is an obscene process and one which does not do justice to these people." Fr George Dalli seconded Apap's claim that the survey could have been carried out in a more efficient manner. "It was far too long and a bit confusing," he said. "Its word- ing, language and tone could easily be misunderstood and I think that, at times, it was." Dalli expressed his belief that the survey results "did not portray a true representation of the Maltese situation" but said that the Church still had a duty to acknowledge the opinions of the people who partici- pated. "The Church represents the Maltese people and tries to address their concerns," he said. "And it is quite clear that the Church might need to revise its teachings on mar- riage, divorce and the use contra- ceptives." The survey also revealed that 43.3% of respondents described the fact that cohabiting couples were not allowed to receive communion as a cause of pain. Dalli placed him- self within this category, expressing his empathy for these persons. "I don't agree that persons should be treated differently, as long as these persons are at peace with themselves and their actions." CHRIS MANGION TWO developers and an architect were ordered to pay €56,800 to sev- en siblings whose mother had died when part of her Sliema apartment collapsed 14 years ago. The case dates back to the after- noon of 12 April 2000, when 84- year-old Rita Vella, her son Joseph Vella and her brother Anthony Mif- sud where inside their residence in 25, Cathedral Street, Sliema. As the three gathered around the table for lunch, Mifsud heard a cracking sound. Construction works were underway on the adjacent building where excavation work was taking place less than three feet away from their side wall. Seeing dust falling from the ceil- ing Anthony Mifsud ran to the main door. His sister and nephew fol- lowed, but the room's wall gave way, pulling two ceilings down on top of them. Joseph Vella suffered fractures and a head-wound, but his mother was trapped under the rubble. Civil Protection personnel extracted her from the rubble but three hours lat- er, she died at St Luke's hospital. Joseph Vella, his sister Carmen Pecorella, and their other five sib- lings claimed damages for the loss of their mother. They also requested the court to award them damages as their mother's house had become uninhabitable, while furniture in- side the residence was destroyed. A court-appointed technical ex- pert reported that the developers had excavated the depth of seven courses rather than three, as in- structed by the architect. This was confirmed by architect Philip Azzo- pardi himself, who explained that he was angered by this. "When I arrived on site and saw how deep the excavation had gone, I was angry at the developer. I real- ised that the foundations had been revealed and ordered him to support the building by applying a concrete cover to protect the foundations," Azzopardi said. However the court ruled that the architect failed in his responsibility to examine the building site prop- erly. "While ordering the developer to attempt to carry out remedial works, architect Azzopardi left the site, trusting that his orders were adhered too. How could you do this when the same person had exca- vated more than instructed, and had not kept to the pre-agreed distance from the wall?" Judge Ellul asked. While holding the architect par- tially responsible for the loss of life of Rita Vella, the court said he cannot be held responsible for the collapse of the building due to the negligence of others. Mr Justice Anthony Ellul found RC Construction Limited, Carmel Raymond Micallef and Raymond Calleja guilt y of negligence and misconduct leading to the col- lapse of the building and Vella's demise. The court awarded the seven sib- lings a total of €56,800 in damages to be paid by the two developers. €40,000 was awarded for the loss of the house and €6,000 for the furnishings – these are to be car- ried by the two developers. Judge Ellul ordered that archi- tect Azzopardi and the developers pay €10,800 to the siblings for the loss of their mother. Church should modernise: Fr Colin Apap and Fr George Dalli