Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/614946
maltatoday, SUNDAY, 13 DECEMBER 2015 3 News H ave a wild, witty, warm Christmas at Valletta Waterfront! We have an array of free festive activities for all ages planned throughout December. Choose from a mix of quality restaurants, bars and shops. Stay cosy indoors, or take in the stunning Grand Harbour views while dining in heated outdoor terraces. Enjoy quality time with family, colleagues and friends, and ensure Valletta Waterfront is your destination of choice this winter. www.vallettawaterfront.com/christmas Flat rate parking from €2.50 Christmas Cheers and Celebrations Bishops' pastoral warns against responding to violence with violence JURGEN BALZAN THE Bishops have warned against resorting to more violence as Europe and the rest of the world come to terms with the terrorist attacks and atrocities carried out by extremists. In yesterday's pastoral letter mark- ing the start of the yearlong jubilee dedicated to the theme of mercy, they emphasised that mankind needs to be sheltered from everything which threatens life and liberty. But the Maltese Bishops said that terrorism cannot be defeated with more violence. Following the deadly terrorist at- tacks in Paris and the subsequent es- calation of military action against the Islamic State in Syria and Iraq, the leaders of the Church in Malta said that "to forgive our enemies is an ex- pression of mercy". Calling for reconciliation, they said "we are terrified to hear that these horrible acts are carried out in the name of God. As Pope Francis stated, to resort to violence, to kill innocent people in God's name, is blasphemy." Archbishop Charles Scicluna and Gozo Bishop Mario Grech added that in the face of the violence, in the face of injustice, in the face of terror- ism, God "empowers us not to re- spond using the same language. "With his help, we are empowered to resist the temptation to respond to violence with violence, the tempta- tion to take revenge for any damages that are incurred." The Bishops also stressed that the Jubilee should highlight "all the suf- ferings which immigrants face, many of whom arrive on our shores and others who arrive on other Mediter- ranean shores." They said refugees reaching Europe "have walked the road of Calvary" and should be welcomed with open arms. "As your shepherds, we wish to state clearly that if someone speaks out with racist or hateful sentiments, this goes against our beliefs. Let any- one who insults or speaks with con- tempt about these people, convert!" They also called upon believers to safeguard society's "most weak and vulnerable", starting with the protec- tion of "the human person from the moment of conception". The Bishops said "we must do our utmost to safeguard life from the very beginning, from the first eight weeks when the human being is an embryo", in a clear reference to the proposed amendments to the Em- bryo Protection Act, which could re- introduce embryo freezing technol- ogy in IVF procedures after this was banned in 2012. The Bishops, who are against the proposed changes, insisted that af- ter eight weeks the embryo "carries a different name, but it remains one and the same human being that, when born, is legally recognised as a person". They added that the law protects the human being from the moment of his or her existence; and "the law must also be an expression of mercy that safeguards human life, giving particular attention to those that are most vulnerable and therefore re- quire greater protection." jbalzan@mediatoday.com.mt Summits give Malta €550 million publicity JURGEN BALZAN THE government has fended off criticism on the disputed success of the laborious organi- sation of the Valletta Summit on Migration and the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), both held last month in November, with a study estimating a 'publicity gain' of €550 million thanks to interna- tional exposure. The two events, which have cost the taxpayer some €12 mil- lion, came under a barrage of criticism, not least for failing to come up with tangible solutions to the challenges posed by mi- gration and climate change. But the government commis- sioned international advertising agency M&C Saatchi to quantify the effectiveness of the events in terms of exposure. "The global media value Mal- ta gained out of organising the Valletta Summit on Migration and CHOGM was approximate- ly €550 million," it said. The government explained that the study considered the total number of mentions of the two events. "The Valletta Summit had a total of 7,008 mentions, which adds to a to- tal Ad Value equivalent of €179,787,195. CHOGM was mentioned 12,333 times for a total Ad Value equivalent of €369,103,710," the government said in a statement. Justifying the holding of the two events, the government said "the returns from global media exposure confirms that the pub- licity Malta received around the world and in regions which we never reach through marketing makes the investment an im- portant one for Malta." Full accounts of the Valletta Summit and CHOGM will be presented to the Prime Minister and made public as soon as an independent audit is concluded in the next few months. "The country has also benefit- ted from the economic activity which both summits generated as thousands of people gathered in Malta to participate in these global events," the statement added. Aneil Bedi from M&C Saatchi, said the study was conducted according to market standards and best practices as used for brands across the world. "The exposure, value and credibility the country gained out of the Valletta Summit and CHOGM is very difficult to achieve and cannot be bought through traditional advertising alone," Bedi said. Archbishop Charles Scicluna