Fr Renè Camilleri (February 3) implies that the Xarabank programme discussing homosexuality was imbalanced because there was only one priest in the panel, flanked by two gays, a declared pro-gay supporter and an atheist.
The following are the facts:
1. A promotion was aired inviting people to phone Xarabank and subsequently attend the programme. Those who advocate the Church's position on this issue did not call.
2. We invited the Bishop of Gozo to take part in the programme. At the time we went on air, we still had not received any reply.
3. We also invited three priests, all of whom told us that they couldn't attend.
4. Six persons who are known to support the Church's views were asked to come to express their views during the programme, but they refused to take part.
5. Moreover, we invited members from religious youth organisations all of whom decided not to take part.
Two days before the programme we were informed that Fr Anton Gouder would be representing the Church. The following day I asked Fr Gouder to give us any names of potential guests who support the Church's views. I contacted Fr Gouder again in person, and he was of the opinion that it would be best that he be left alone on the panel in representation of the Church, because the subject was extremely delicate.
Fr Camilleri mentions all the persons who took part in the programme but failed to mention the fact that we aired an extensive interview with Archbishop Paul Cremona.
In this regard we decided to ana-lyse the allocation of time given to each speaker during the programme. The results show that Fr Gouder had much more airtime (31 minutes) allocated to him than the rest of the panel put together (22 minutes). Moreover if Fr Gouder's allotted time were to be added to the duration of the Archbishop's interview (47 minutes), one would find that the resulting time allocation would match the time allotted to the rest of the panel and all the members of the audience put together (48 minutes).
I rest my case.
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Why should the Church be given equal time anyway? Its hierarchy is unelected, unrepresentative of its female and homosexual faithful, immoral in so far as it conceals abuses against children and out-of-touch with not only Maltese society but most right-thinking Roman Catholics. To hell with Hitler's lieutenant and his supporters.
ReplyDeleteIn any event, Fr Gouder had "the last say" (as far as the members of the panel were concerned) and Monsignor Cremona was interviewed in the comfort of his office. Why did he not face those affected who had the courage to be part of the audience? As for Grech, I am not surprised. He is increasingly coming over as someone who is out of his depth when it comes to issues of sexual morality.
As for the "Good News", it appears the only news Cremona had for gay men and lesbians was one of "tbatija, tbatija, tbatija". Do these wankers really think Almighty God is concerned with who goes to bed with whom? If their God is so petty, to hell with him (or her) also.
Joseph Carmel Chetcuti