Thursday, 12 February 2009

Kullħadd: Tieġ gay f’Għawdex

8.2.9 21:08:07 minn Aleander Balzan

Aleander Balzan jitkellem ma’ Jacqui Holloway, li fil-gzira pittoreska ta’ Ghawdex organizzat tieg gay ghal Peter u Steve. Holloway titkellem dwar dan it-tieg u dwar l-interess minn koppji omosesswali Maltin biex jorganizzaw cerimonja simbolika fejn fiha jistqarru mhabbithom lejn xulxin.

Kien il-grupp “Introduce Gay Civil Partnership in Malta” fuq is-sit elettroniku Facebook li laqqani ghall-ewwel darba ma’ Jacqui C Holloway. Sal-lum dan il-grupp, li twaqqaf ftit tal-jiem ilu ghandu iktar minn 600 membru u d-diskussjoni dwar is-suggett ma tieqafx.

F’dan il-grupp Jacqui Holloway, residenti Hal-Qormi u li xoghol taghha huwa li torganizza t-tigijiet tirrakonta kif fost il-klijenti taghha kien hemm koppji gay. Tghid ukoll li tieg simili kien organizzat f’ Malta. Tispjega kif dak li jsir f’Malta ma jkun xejn ghajr cerimonja simbolika fejn ‘il boghod mil-legalitajiet u s-simboli religjuzi l-koppja tesponi l-imhabba lejn xulxin.

“Bdejna naghmlu zwigijiet ettrosesswali. Il-kumpanija taghna twaqqfet fl-2003 u llum ahna stabbiliti hafna f’dan il-qasam. Konna bdejna jiena u ohti u llum qeghdin jiena u kollega tieghi li nzerta gay. It-talba ghaz-zwigijiet gay zdiedet. Peress li l-kollega tieghi huwa gay qisu b’mod naturali zviluppajna lejn l-organizazzjoni ta’ cerimonji ghall-koppji gay,” tispjega Holloway.

“Nirreklamaw f’pajjizi fejn huwa legalment possibbli li jsiru zwigijiet bejn koppji ta’ l-istess sess. F’postijiet bhal Malta fejn dan m’huwiex possibbli norganizzaw cerimonji simbolici,” izzid Holloway, li tghix f’Malta hekk kif ommha hija Maltija.

Izda x’inhi din ic-cerimonja simbolika nistaqsi jiena.

“Inehhu l-legalitajiet kollha u m’hemm l-ebda referenza lejn Alla ghax din m’hijiex xi haga religjuza. Ma rridu nidhlu fl-ghalqa ta’ hadd. M’ahniex qeghdin hawn biex neliminaw ic-cerimonji ta’ tieg proprja ghaliex fil-verità ahna nippreferu naghmlu dawn it-tigijiet, fil-knejjes u l-kappelli u fis-swali mimilija bil-mistednin,” twiegeb minghajr l-ebda tlaqliq.

“Izda qeghdin nahsbu wkoll ghall-minorità ta’ nies li sfortunatament m’humiex rikonoxxuti bhala koppji, ghax huma t-tnejn irgiel jew it-tnejn nisa, li jiena nara bhala xi haga patetika.”
Dlonk nistaqsiha xi trid tghid b’dan.

“L-ikbar habib tieghi huwa gay u ilni nafu iktar minn 15-il sena. Rajtu f’relazzjonijiet u rajtu barra minn relazzjonijiet. Ikollu l-istess relazzjonijiet li jkolli jiena. Jghaddu mill-istess affarijiet u jkollu l-istess kwisjtonijiet ta’ mhabba li jkolli jiena. M’hemm xejn differenti.

Jekk ihobbx ragel jew mara hija xi haga personali ta’ xi hadd ta kif ihossu komdu hu. Ghalija m’hemm xejn hazin. Ghall-haddiehor tista’ tkun dizgustanti jew xi haga estremament hazina imma fil-verità m’hijiex. Dak huwa l-mod kif twieldu,” tishaq b’certu determinazzjoni.

F’relazzjoni ghal 39 sena

Nitlob lil Jacqui tirrakontali fuq it-tieg li organizzat f’Ghawdex.

“Ghamilt tieg ta’ koppja Ingliza li tghix fl-iSkozja fejn huwa legalment possibbli li tizzewweg, ghalhekk li sar kien li zzewgu fl-iSkozja legalment imbaghad gew Malta biex jaghmlu t-tieg tal-holm taghhom. Ghalihom, u dan kif spjegawli iktar minn darba, ic-cerimonja li kellha s-sinjifikat veru kienet organizzata hawn, f’Ghawdex. Riedu x’imkien kwiet u seren u ghazlu Ghawdex ghaliex ghogbithom il-gzira u l-istorja. Krew villa u l-mistednin taghhom kienu qeghdin joqghodu f’villel fl-akwata. Meta kellmuni kont qieghda nistenna li jridu xi tieg bombastiku, imma fil-verità riedu tieg semplici,” tirrakonta.

“Peter u Steve kienu koppja avvanzata fi zmien fil-fatt kellhom qrib is-sittin. Kienu ilhom flimkien ghal iktar minn 39 sena. Din hija koppja li kienet digà flimkien fi snin sittin meta d-diskriminazzjoni kontra koppji gay kienet tal-biza’. Imma minkejja kollox baqghu flimkien. Hemm koppji ettrosesswali li ma damux daqshekk f’relazzjoni. Ghalhekk il-mentalità li jrid ikollna hija li mhux jekk humiex ettrosesswali jew omossesswali imma li huma koppja li jinhabbu. Ilhom flimkien ghal dan iz-zmien kollu, u f’ghajnejhom kienu digà mizzewgin imma issa kienu mizzewgin ta’ veru. Bhal kull koppja normali ridu jghidu lil kulhadd li huma ta’ xulxin,” tghid dwar il-koppja filwaqt li ddawar l-attenzjoni fuq it-tieg.

“Kellna dghajsa li fuqha saret ic-cerimonja. Wara c-cerimonja ftahna x-xampanja u kulhadd qabez il-bahar. Wara morna lura l-Villa, bil-karozza tat-tieg ghal Peter u Steve u kellna l-festin hemm. Ma kienx hemm souvenirs u minflok ghazlu li jhawlu sigar bil flus li kienu jonfqu fis-souvenirs. Kien tieg li ghalkemm zghir kien romantiku,” tghidJacqui.

Ma setax jonqos li nistaqsiha fuq interess li jkollha minn koppji Maltin.

“Kelli koppji Maltin, fost ohrajn zewg hairdressers u koppja ohra li tahdem fil-qasam tal-bejgh tal-proprjeta li gew ghandi b’interess kbir u wrewni bic-car li jixtiequ jkollhom cerimonja simili. Izda x’hin naslu biex nibdew inpoggu l-affarijiet flimkien jaqtghu lura. Ninnota li l-ikbar problema jsibuha meta nkunu qeghdin naghmlu l-lista tal-mistednin,” temmen Jacqui.

“Hawn Malta kulhadd huwa bezghan ghax kulhadd jaf lil kulhadd. Ghalhekk sakemm ma jkollokx dak il-karattru li ma tatix kas ma tghamillhix. Jew inkella ssir privatament hafna u ghalhekk ma ssirx din ic-cerimonja,” itemm tghid Holloway filwaqt li zzid tishaq li tittama li torganizza l-ewwel zwieg gay f’Malta u tghidli li tittama li jkun wasal iz-zmien dan ikun rikonoxxut legalment.

Tuesday, 10 February 2009

Dr. Ing. Patrick Attard condemns Catholic Book - Homosexuality is diabolic - AIDS is the punishment to sodomites

PRESS RELEASE: 9.2.9 by Dr. Inġ. Patrick Attard

"This is not ignorance. This is hatred. This is pure hatred." - Dr. Ing. P. Attard



Dr. Ing. Patrick Attard claims that the Catholic Church is inciting hatred against the Maltese gay community.

On Monday 2nd February a book entitled "The Catholic Church and Homosexuality" by Atila Sinke Guimaraes was prominently advertised on the Media-Centre website and Dr. Attard bought a copy from The Church's Bookshop, Il- Qarrej Nisrani, Media Centre in 167 Valley Road B'Kara.

The book's summary states that "This book covers briefly the Catholic tradition regarding homosexuality, which will clarify the issues once and for all, with no doubt left in anyone's mind about the intrinsic evil of this disgusting, unnatural practice, and how the Church and society have always legislated against it."

The book mentions that homosexuality is diabolic and that AIDS is God's punishment to gays. The book also links paedophelia to homosexuality.

The opening quote on the front page of the book is Leviticus 20:13 "If any one lie with a man as with a woman, both have committed an abomination, let them be put to death: their blood be upon them".

This is not ignorance, this is hatred insists Dr. Patrick Attard.This is the same hatred which led to 15,000 German gays to be rounded up and sent to Mauthausen in 1933 with less than 10 of them surviving. The treatment of gays in concentration camps was so bad that when a Jew died, the gays used to try and steal the star from his clothing to cover their pink triangle. Gays were sodomised with broken rulers until they bled to death, had their nails pulled out, were mauled to death by dogs and used as target practice by soldiers. Horrible medical experiments were carried out of gays.

It is important that whoever is importing these books in Malta to be held responsible and even the political parties should speak up about this. It is shocking that mothers who find out that their son is gay and go to buy books from the Media Centre to inform themselves about the subject have their minds poisoned with this sort of literature.

Dr. Attard has a copy of the book and the Media-Centre's VAT receipt as proof of purchase. The sale of the book was also noted in the shop's register by the Clerk.

It is important that the importation of such books is stopped immediately and Dr. Attard urges people not to be complacent and quiet but to stand up and say this is intolerable.

This cannot be left without consequences. In order to repair the damage, the Catholic Church MUST:
- terminate the employment of the person responsible who allowed the book on the bookshelves.
- take disciplinary action against the person who translated the back cover to Maltese, and the person who uploaded the book summary on the Media-Centre website on Monday 2nd February.
- Issue an unambiguous public apology to all gays by a senior Church official
- withdraw the book immediately from the bookshelves.
- recall all the books sold and offer a full refund to whoever bought the book.
- destroy the collected books (to prevent re-sale).
- The Catholic Church should make a public declaration that no such books will be imported.

It is important that the political parties publicly take a stand. It is important to note that both Dr. Simon Busuttil and David Casa repeatedly voted against or abstained resolutions which condemn the murder and torture of gays in the European Parliament. Moreover Simon Busuttil signed a petition on the 26 th April 2007 to remove a Resolution condemning Homophobia from the Agenda - an utterly obscene act. If they claim to be the fighters for gay rights as they recently did when voting in favour of a non-binding resolution, they must resolve this issue in an examplary way before the up-coming EU Parliament elections.

Dr. Attard tried to obtain legal advice from a number of sources including the Police Legal Section. It seems that to date there is no law condemning hatred towards the gay minority.

This book is full of quotes from the book of Leviticus. The Book of Leviticus condones slavery and states that those who work on a Sabbath must be killed. If these are not relevant today anymore, why is its teaching on homosexuality still relevant?

Related article: http://patrickattard.blogspot.com/2009/02/press-release-head-of-catholic-churchs.html

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Media Centre's main website 2.02.09


http://www.mediacentre.org.mt/

Ghal aktar taghrif dwar il-hwienet , tista' tmur fil-pagna 'Il-Qarrej Nisrani'

THE CATHOLIC CHURCH AND HOMOSEXUALITY
Prezz LM3.75 €8.74

Dan il-ktieb jittratta b'mod hafif, it-tradizzjoni Kattolika dwar l-omosesswalita, biex ticcara bla tlaqliq, il-problemi ta' mawaraha u b'hekk ma jibqa' l-ebda dubju fl-imhuh dwar il-kruha ta' din il-prattika abnormali u l-mod kif il-Knisja dejjem harset lejha.

Dan l-istudju jdahhal hafna kwotazzjonijiet mill-Bibbja, mit-taghlim tal-Magisteru, mit-taghlim tal-Papiet, mil-Ligi Kanonika, mid-Dutturi tal-Knisja, qaddisin u ohrajn. Minjkejja li t-taghrif jinghata fil-qososr, l-ebda kattoliku serju ma jista' jinjora dan l-istudju car u miftuh.Il-ktieb jaghti ukoll ideja tajba tal-kitba originali, hafna aktar dettaljata, bl-isem 'In the murky waters opf Vatican II, li hu xoghol li kull kattoliku ghandu jaqra, l-aktar dawk li jixtiequ jsiru jafu aktar mill-qrib x'gara fil-Knisja wara l-Koncilju Vatikan II.


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Book's Back cover:


THE CATHOLIC CHURCH AND HOMOSEXUALITY

Atila Sinke Guimares, 1999 Tan Books

Atila Sinke Guimaraes. The Catholic Church and Homosexuality is a reprint of the Appendix to In the Murkey Waters of Vatican II that is alone worth the price of the parent book. With so much heard about this subject currently, this present commanding study will be heartily welcomed by good Catholics everywhere who are sick to death over the compromising stands being taken by so many of the Church's clergy today with regard to this problem. This book covers briefly the Catholic tradition regarding homosexuality, which will clarify the issues once and for all, with no doubt left in anyone's mind about the intrinsic evil of this disgusting, unnatural practice, and how the Church and society have always legislated against it. This study includes quotes from Sacred Scripture, the Teaching Magisterium, some of its Popes, Canon Law, the Doctors of the Church, the Saints and others. Plus, it gives a critique of recent Post-Conciliar pronouncements, the current situation in the United States and in various countries, the principal movements today, so-called homosexual "religious orders," pedophilia, and so forth. Short but thorough, this is an enlightening and shocking study that no serious Catholic can afford to ignore! It also gives an excellent idea of the caliber of writing to be found in the larger work, In the Murkey Waters of Vatican II-which is itself an epochal book that all Catholics should read, especially anyone who wants to know what happend to the Catholic Church after Vatican II.

Short but thorough.. an enlightening but shocking study.

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Author's Biography:


http://www.dailycatholic.org/atilabio.htm

Atila Sinke Guimaraes

The DAILY CATHOLIC is honored to add Atila Sinke Guimaraes to our list of contributing columnists. He is the distinguished author of the 11-volume collection Eli, Eli, Lamma Sabacthani (My God, My God, Why hast Thou forsaken me?). To date five volumes of this collection have been published in English: In the Murky Waters of Vatican II and Animus Delendi- I (Desire to Destroy), Quo Vadis, Petre?, and most recentlyAnimus Delendi-II.

This prolific writer was born in Rio de Janiero and tutored by his esteemed mentorProfessor Plinio Correa de Oliveira for many years. Both Atila and his mentor spent many years in studies and researches, which included several trips to Europe and other countries of South America.

He is co-author of two timely statements addressed to Pope John Paul II on the responsibility of the Pontiff in upholding Church doctrine and tradition in We Resist You to the Face and An Urgent Plea: Do Not Change the Papacy.

His most recent work is the fifth volume in his Eli, Eli, Lamma Sabacthani series -Animus Delendi - II, which lays out the destruction of the Church through Secularization and Ecumenism. Among his most recent works released is a photo book co-authored with Marian T. Horvat entitled Previews of the New Papacy. He has also authored numerous booklets published by Tradition In Action, Inc. which we highly endorse.

Atila Guimaraes is a contributor to Catholic periodicals, and has regular columns in The Remnant, Catholic Family News, and The DAILY CATHOLIC. In February 2000, the International Biographical Center of Cambridge included him in the 2000 Outstanding Writers of the 20th Century in honor of his contribution in the field of Contemporary Religious Analysis.

His resume represents years of studies which began with Engineering from 1964-67; Law studies 1967-70; three years of French Literature; four years of Medieval History Studies; four years of Catholic Church History; eight years studying Philosophy as well as Politics; with sixteen years of Apologetics on Contemporary Religious Studies.

Monday, 9 February 2009

YouTube: Spanish PM speech on gay marriage. ENG SUBS [English Subtitles]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fi7DbJqkU2s



Speech of Spain's Prime Minister July 30th 2005 in the day Gay Marriage was approved by the Spanish Senate.

MaltaToday: Make up your blessed minds

Sunday, 08 February 2009 by Raphael Vassallo

On Tuesday, Gozo Bishop Mario Grech issued a clarification regarding his own claim, uttered 10 days earlier, that “whoever does not accept Christ’s teachings should be honest with themselves and excommunicate themselves from the Church.”Bishop Mario Grech does this sort of thing a lot. He comes across as forceful and outspoken one minute, but no sooner are his words interpreted along purely logical and natural lines (I will return to this theme shortly) than he suddenly realises that... Oh dear, I really put my foot in it this time, didn’t I? And off he goes, mumbling some incoherent “explanation” that leaves us none the wiser than before.

This week’s “clarification” is an excellent example, but it is hardly the only one. In December 2007, the same Bishop Mario Grech even confessed on live TV that he had to write to the Vatican for official guidance, after expressing some rather bizarre opinions on the subject of artificial contraception: among them, that condoms do not offer reliable protection against AIDS (this, by the way, during a sermon on the occasion of World AIDS Day).

We never got to know if the “Holy See, Holy Do” actually wrote back. But I can just imagine the general reaction at St Peter’s: “Look, Mario, you’re a bishop now. You can’t expect us to keep to holding your hand every time your big mouth lands you in a tight spot. You got yourself into that mess... now get yourself out of it. Fond regards, Josef.”

But back to Grech’s “self-excommunication” remark, which the Bishop would now have us believe was unconnected in any way to a very public act of self-excommunication, performed just a few days earlier by two prominent personalities... specifically in protest against the Church’s views on homosexuality.

Bishop Grech now claims that his words were taken out of context; that he had been “misinterpreted”; that gays and lesbians were very far from his mind when he argued that people who disagree with the Church should simply ‘up and leave’... and it was merely a coincidence that, of all the available means to express disagreement with the Church, he happened to mention the least likely option imaginable, and which had just a few days earlier made international headlines specifically in connection with disgruntled gay Catholics.

Well, my advice to Mgr Grech is: go tell it to the Mormons. As the person to have joined all the dots and made all the above connections, I feel I have to correct His Grace on a couple of small misconceptions.

Far from taking his words out of context, what I did was put them into a context... not just the context of the recent self-excommunication incident (which he dragged into the equation, not me); but also the context of countless similar pronouncements by the Church – both local and international – on this thorny and quite frankly unresolved social issue.

Bishop Grech may be unaware of this, but the Church’s position regarding homosexuality is not just a private matter for the Vatican alone. It is a matter of intense global discussion and debate, as well as a cause of deep distress to millions of people around the world. It has provoked suicide and depression, bullying at school and discrimination at the workplace... and as such, any public pronouncement on the subject by a prominent and widely-respected Church authority is automatically open to analysis and interpretation by the general public... whether the Bishop likes the idea or not.

It is for this reason that when intelligent people speak in public, they tend to weigh their words very carefully before uttering them... and not afterwards, as the Gozo Bishop seems to have a habit of doing.

He is not the only one, either. Archbishop Paul Cremona appears to operate along similar lines, as evidenced by his remarkable homily on September 8 2008.

No allusion to gays this time; instead, we were told that “secularism” is a “threat” to Malta’s cultural values, to be reckoned alongside the Islamic invasion of the late Middle Ages, or the war against Nazism 70 years ago... without any consideration to how this gross analogy would afterwards be received.

He also drew a subliminal link between divorce, abortion and (of all things) euthanasia, and – most hurtful and hateful of all – suggested that people outside the immediate influence of the Church do not themselves have any values.

And when a number of observers, myself included, pointed out the obvious – i.e., that the Archbishop’s remarks were both untrue and deeply offensive – well, like Bishop Grech he immediately claimed to have been “misinterpreted”... and he even appeared on a television programme to (unsuccessfully) waffle his way out of the self-inflicted situation.

Personally, I am still waiting for a proper explanation of his “value-free society” comment... as well as a justification for the Archbishop’s argument that divorce legislation would lead inexorably to euthanasia.

But I am beginning to suspect that our Bishops are above all that; they are entitled to spout whatever absurdities they please, and then invoke special divine protection the moment their remarks are scrutinized.

The second reason I reject Bishop Grech’s clarification is that – as tends to be the case with dubious retractions – he has overcompensated for his indiscretion, supplying his own, original version of the Church’s position on homosexuality.

All well and good... but for the fact that the Bishop’s views are entirely inconsistent which those of the Vatican whose policies he supposedly represents.

“We need to welcome them with respect, love and sensitivity,” Bishop Grech said. More specifically, he also made the claim (or was this also a misinterpretation?) that “sexual orientation is not a moral disorder.”

Really? How fascinating. I suggest he informs the Vatican right away, because all its recent pronouncements point in a very different direction. The official Church line – traceable, incidentally, to a paper written by Cardinal Josef Ratzinger himself – defines homosexuality as “an aberration and irregularity”. Elsewhere, Cardinal Zenon Grocholewski, prefect of the Catholic Education Congregation, said recently that “homosexuality is a deviation, an irregularity, a wound.”

This is not a matter to be taken lightly, as evidenced by the recent Rocco Buttiglione affair (Rocco was denied an EU Commissionership, simply for repeating the above definitions in public). I would love to hear Bishop Mario Grech’s explanation for his comment that “sexual orientation is not a moral disorder”, when Pope Benedict XVI so clearly seems to think it is.

And to compound matters, it also appears that Bishop Grech is not entirely aware of the goings-on within his own Archdiocese, either.

While the Bishop was busy welcoming gays with respect and love, the Media Centre in Blata l-Bajda – that’s the Curia’s publishing house – released a book by ultra-conservative Brazilian theologian Atila Sinke Guimaraes entitled ‘The Catholic Church and Homosexuality’.
The following is an excerpt lifted directly from the Media Centre’s website (freely translated by yours truly):

“This book briefly explores the Catholic tradition regarding homosexuality, so as to fully clarify all the associated problems, so that none will remain in any doubt as to the ugliness of this abnormal practice and the way the Church has always looked at it.”

This in turn is clearly a watered-down translation of the publication notes, which say (in English): “this book ... will clarify the issues once and for all, with no doubt left in anyone’s mind about the intrinsic evil of this disgusting, unnatural practice, and how the Church and society have always legislated against it.”

So much, I suppose, for “welcoming them with respect, love and sensitivity.”

Now, I ask you all: in the light of Grech’s revised opinions, expressed last Tuesday...will the Media Centre now remove the above remark from its website, and apologise for the hurt it may have caused? Or will the Archbishop’s Curia lash out at the media in general, and probably myself in particular, for being “sensationalist” in our reporting; for taking the words out of context, or putting others into the Media Centre’s mouth?

No prizes for guessing the answer, but quite frankly they can lash out all they like. After all, you can’t really argue with people who seem to change their views every time they find themselves with their backs against the wall. Or for that matter, with people who clearly do not think before they speak, and then, when caught out in glaring contradictions, turn around and accuse everyone else of twisting their words.

Il-Ġens: Il-Medja

[Dan l-artiklu mhux fuq il-website s'issa]
7.2.9

Id-diskors tal-Papa lill-Kurja Rumana ghall-Milied, qala’ putiferju fil-gazzetti Inglizi. Ghaqqdu kliem mislut mid-diskors, ma l-izbal [fl-opinjoni tieghi] tal-Vatikan meta oppona mozzjoni fil-Gnus Maghquda kontra l-persekuzzjoni ta’ l-omosesswali. Imputaw li l-Papa keskes li, l-gharfien tad-drittijiet ta’ l-omosesswali, jeqirdu lill-familja u lid-dinja. Ma tantx tajt kaz. Hbieb agnostici wkoll xammewha b’montatura kontra l-Papa. Domt ftit ma sibt id-diskors.

Sadanittant, serraht mohhi li l-Papa, hassieb fil-fond, zgur ma setax qal dal-hmerijiet. Wara kollox, kulhadd holqien ta’ Alla. Hadd, hlief min ghadu jemmen li x-xemx iddur mad-dinja, ma jemmen li l-omosesswalita hi ghazla. Il-provi xjentifici juru li m’hiex, li dad-don jissawwab fl-individwu/a ga mit-twelid, jekk mhux ukoll qabel.

Ma habbiltx rasi sa ma sibt id-diskors, li l-Papa seta’ qal xi haga bhal din. Wara kollox, jekk AllaHu Mhabba u l-Knisja r-rapprezentanta Tieghu fid-dinja, ma jista’ jkun qatt li l-Knisja tonqos tant mill-imhabba, mill-haqq, lejn holqien ta’ Alla. Hekka tieqaf tkun xhieda Tieghu. Qiesu l-Knisja tohodha kontra s-suwed ghax suwed. Halaqhom Alla, ma Tahomx ghazla. Il-bojod mhux inqas mis-suwed ghax jinharqu fix-xemx.

Il-bojod u s-suwed indaqs f’ghajnejn Alla u fil-fatt. Ghandhom hiliet differenti li Alla Sawwab fin-natura taghhom. Il-mara ma hiex inqas mir-ragel u l-anqas il-kontra. Huma indaqs, izda ghandhom hiliet differenti. Bsart li l-medja faccola u superficjali setghet thawdet mill-fatt li l-Kurja Rumana kienet wahhdet l-omosesswalita mal-pedofilija.

Minhabba l-problema serju tal-pedofilija fil-Knisja, direttiva ordnat li l-omosesswali, prattikanti jew le, ma setghux jiehdu l-Ordni Sagri. Il-pedofilija, il-abbuz tat-tfal, m’ghandux x’jaqsam ma’ l-omosesswalita. Bhal dak li qallu, ma hemmx l-istess dilemma fost l-etersesswali. Ghax hemm problema fost xi kleru li jiksru l-voti tac-celibat man-nisa, tinhareg direttiva li ebda eterosesswali ma jista’ jiehu l-Ordni Sagri.

Hekk jispicca li ebda holqien ta’ Alla ma jiehu l-Ordni Sagri. Tassew li hadd ma hu denn ta’ dil-missjoni hekk kbira. Tassew li hadd ma jiflah ghaliha minnu nnifsu. Izda Alla Setghani u Jghin lil min Jaghzel biex jaqdiH. Jghinu u Jaghnih bil-mehtieg biex jaqdi dmiru f’dil-missjoni hekk kbira. Il-marda tal-pedofilija haga ohra. Taf twassal ghal abbuz li s-socjeta ma tista’ qatt taccetta.

Fl-ahhar irnexxieli naqra kliem il-Papa verbatim. Il-Papa wissa li l-bniedem, xi kultant, ikun irrid jghaffeg wahdu u jaghzel hu bla ebda tnebbih minn barra. Il-Papa sahaq li l-Knisja ghandha dmir thares lill-bniedem milli jfarrak lilu nnifsu, li jinhtieg ekologija tal-bniedem u li l-Knisja ghandha dmir turi u timbotta lejn il-moghdijiet it-tajba. Irrefera ghal l-Enciklika “Humanae vitae” tal-Papa Paolo VI li ddifendiet l-imhabba kontra s-sesswalita tal-konsum.

Fil-fatt, l-ispekulaturi rikbu xi ftit id-dinja omosesswali: imbuttawha lejn il-moghdijiet tal-konsum sesswali, biex ibieghula l-prodotti taghhom. L-istess kif hawn min irawwem is-sokor jew il-hnizrija fl-ikel ghal ghanijiet ta’ begh. Mhux talli mhux hazin, talli maghdud b’tajjeb u xieraq, b’mehtieg, li tixrob u tiekol bil-qis. Izda s-sokor u l-hnizrija m’humiex. Il-Papa wissa kontra l-konsumerizmu sesswali.

L-istess kif htiegu fuq l-1,500 sena biex id-dinja tithalla ddur max-xemx, jinhtieg iz-zmien biex jikber l-gharfien dwar l-omosesswalita. Izda sadanittant, flok qed tinghata l-ghajnuna biex tisseddaq l-imhabba flok il-konsumerizmu sesswali, dawn qed jitbarru u jintefghu f’dirghajn l-ispekulaturi tal-kunsumizmu sesswali. Qed ihossuhom imzebilha, mibghuda, mahqura. Zgur li Alla ma riedx hekk.

Times: Fair treatment on Xarabank

Monday, 9th February 2009 by Peppi Azzopardi, Xarabank team, Qormi

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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Sunday, 8 February 2009

Times: The engagement party [Interview with Paul Borg Olivier]

Sunday, 8th February 2009 by Kurt Sansone
[Excerpt from the Interview]

Now where has that e-mail gone? Paul Borg Olivier recounting his slip of the mouse.



He's only been general secretary of the Nationalist Party for six months, but Paul Borg Olivier has already had his fair share of controversies to deal with.

...

"Diversity of thought is positive. It goes to show that the PN is not a party of yes-men but it is also a party that can work with a sense of loyalty. This makes us different from the PL," he says.

Diversity is an issue the PN will have to contend with more often in the next few years as the distinction between its more liberal wing and the conservative majority becomes more defined.
The one issue where that difference is bound to create tension is the regulation of non-traditional families.

MEPs Simon Busuttil and David Casa voted in favour of a non-binding resolution in the European Parliament calling for the non-discrimination of co-habiting individuals, including gay couples.
They even went on record in favour of legislation that grants rights to cohabiting individuals.
Is this a way of speaking one language in Europe and another one in Malta?

"Absolutely not. The PN is consistent on this aspect. There is no doubt that Maltese society is evolving and we have people living in non-traditional family set-ups.

"Before the election and even after, the PN insisted that in this legislature it should find better ways of regulating the rights and obligations of people who cohabit," Dr Borg Olivier says.
He makes it a point to underline that Dr Busuttil and Mr Casa did not vote for the right to civil marriage for gay couples. However, he is very cautious when talking of civil partnerships for same-sex couples.

"This needs to be taken in a wider context of what civil partnership means. One needs to be careful when making a distinction between partnership and marriage. What should be regulated first are the legal obligations of two individuals who are living together, even if they are of the same sex," Dr Borg Olivier says.

Another sensitive issue is divorce. Social Policy Minister John Dalli had said the time was ripe for a discussion on the matter but the Nationalist Party has had no structured internal debate on divorce since Dr Borg Olivier's election to the post of general secretary.

"The PN will still believe in the value of the family in its traditional form. This is a basic principle we will continue believing in," he says, while acknowledging the reality of relationships that are not in the traditional form.

However, he insists the PN was elected on a mandate and electoral programme which did not include divorce.

He is unfazed by the argument that there have been other issues not mentioned in the electoral programme, which the PN has addressed such as membership in the Partnership for Peace.
Dr Borg Olivier smiles and insists there is a fundamental difference between PfP and divorce.
"Our priority is to implement the electoral programme but it does not mean that divorce should not be debated," he says.

When the debate will start and in which forum is another issue altogether.

It-Torċa: Omosesswali

8.2.9 minn Aleks Farrugia

“Tgħidx kemm għandhom qalbhom tajba u jafu jħobbu.” “Huma artistiċi aktar minn persuni oħra.” “Huma sensittivi aktar għall-problemi tal-proxxmu tagħhom.” “Għandna nagħdruhom u nħobbuhom.” “Nies bħall-oħrajn.”

Familjari dawn il-kummenti?

Min jaf kemm smajnihom fuq xi programm televiżiv jew ieħor li jitratta l-omosesswalità f’pajjiżna! Kummenti li, ikolli ngħid, jikxfuna dwar kif għadna nħarsu lejn l-omosesswalità u lejn l-omosesswali f’dan il-pajjiż; anke jekk min jagħmilhom ġeneralment huwa ġenwin u jħossu mimli bil-karità Kristjana.

Kull wieħed minn dawn il-kummenti jitlaq mill-prinċipju li hemm “aħna” u “huma”, jiġifieri li hemm kategorija ta’ nies “normali” u oħrajn li mhumiex. L-omosesswali, għalhekk, huma “l-oħrajn” u bħala tali kull azzjoni tagħhom ma tistax titqies jekk mhux fid-dawl tal-kategorija li jagħmlu parti minnha. Bħala “oħrajn” huma suġġetti għall-investigazzjonijiet tagħna, iridu jaqtgħulna l-għatx tal-kurżità tagħna, nippretendu minnhom li joqgħodu fil-vetrina (anke jekk din tkun tal-iskrin tat-televiżjoni) biex ngħarbluhom u nistudjawhom ħalli nkunu nistgħu ngħaddu l-ġudizzju tagħna dwarhom. Inħossu l-ħtieġa li niġġustifikawhom għax “twieldu hekk”, bħallikieku din tagħhom kienet għażla m’għandhomx id-dritt sagrosant li jagħmluha mingħajr ma jiġbdu fuqhom il-preġudizzju tal-bqija!

L-attributi superlattivi li jagħtu xbieha tal-omosesswali bħallikieku huma xi nies superdotati, qisu li l-preferenza sesswali tal-persuna tiddetermina l-abbiltajiet tagħha, huma wkoll frott il-preġudizzju. Bħalma huwa xhieda tal-preġudizzju li għadu jeżisti, il-fatt li programm televiżiv dwar l-omosesswali isir u ma jidhirx superfuwu u jġiegħel lill-poplu kollu jitkellem dwaru.

Ħadd ma joqgħod ikejjel l-abbiltajiet u l-kwalitajiet tal-eterosesswali. Jekk xi ħadd straight huwa aħdar (fis-sens ta’ kattiv) m’hemmx oġġezzjonijiet biex tiddefinixxih bħala “aħdar”. Lanqas jekk ikun rgħib, jew xi attribut ieħor negattiv. Li wieħed ikun konxju li jrid fil-prinċipju jiddetermina li persuna gay għandha t-tajjeb tagħha jew inkella li għandha xi kwalitajiet immaġinarji superjuri għall-bqija mhijiex għajr stqarrija mhix imlissna ta’ kuxjenza li qiegħda tammetti l-preġudizzju. Dawn l-istess superlattivi jistgħu saħansitra jkunu użati biex jikkompartimentalizzaw lill-istess omosesswali f’ċerti karrieri u jeskluduhom minn oħrajn jew inkella jkun mistenni minnhom li jwettqu ċerti ħwejjeġ li l-persuna nvoluta mhux neċessarjament tkun tħossha komda li tagħmel.

Dan bħall-preġudizzju li jitqajjem fuq familja fejn l-omm toħroġ taħdem u r-responsabbiltà tat-tfal taqa’ fuq il-missier. Għax il-preġudizzju popolari huwa li ħadd ma jrabbi ‘l ulied aħjar mill-omm, dik l-omm li tagħżel li tkompli l-karriera tagħha spiss tispiċċa ttimbrata li b’xi mod qiegħda tonqos lejn uliedha u l-missier li jiddeċiedi jieħu post l-omm bħala li qiegħed jonqos mid-dmir tiegħu li jġib il-ħobża tal-kuljum lejn id-dar - biex ma ngħidu xejn dwar l-attributi li jingħatawlu dwar il-valur tal-maskulinità tiegħu.

L-għerq ta’ dan kollu jinsab fin-nuqqas ta’ adattabilità; fejn min jisfida n-normi u d-dommi dominanti fis-soċjetà b’xi mod qisu jrid jiġġustifika l-istil ta’ għajxien tiegħu u awtomatikament jispiċċa klassifikat skont dik l-“anormalità” mill-bqija. L-ironija hi li kull bniedem b’xi mod jitrasgredixxi “l-kejl tan-normalità”; min fil-miftuħ u min b’mod aktar diskret. Forsi għax wara kollox “in-normalità” mhijiex xi liġi mħażża fin-natura imma purament konvenzjoni soċjali ġejja minn kumpless ta’ strateġiji ta’ poter (fejn il-poter mhux neċessarjament jinftiehem bħala s-setgħa ta’ xi forza politika jew ekkleżjastika, imma anke l-poter soċjali li naqsmu bejnietna ta’ kuljum fir-relazzjonijiet tagħna ma’ xulxin).

Times: Misinformed panel

Sunday, 8th February 2009 Victoria Busuttil, Sliema

I normally appreciate good discussion programmes on TV. One such programme recently dealt with the Church and state laws in Malta.

I immediately had my doubts over the competence and impartiality of some panel members. So many confused ideas were expressed that I hardly believed some of them knew what they were talking about, being terribly misinformed about matters of Church and religion.

It seems some of them never consulted the Book of Genesis, the first book of Scripture, where it is said that God created them "man and woman" and not man and man. They went so far as to say that gay unions were "marriages" and that the Church in Malta is another political party.
While Muslims were praised for praying five times a day, one member of the panel boasted about not going to church nor bothering about religious practice, while spouting venom against members of the hierarchy. I asked myself why don't they follow the Muslims' example and pray? When will some realise the great treasure we have in the gift of our faith?

This is our Christian identity and we should be proud of it and work hard and pray not to lose it, let alone remove the crucifix from schools not to hurt the feelings of unbelievers.

I wonder if a Christian in certain countries would be allowed to pray publicly or to outwardly express his beliefs? What about our being hurt and offended not only by unbelievers but also by our own compatriots who have gone astray?

I suggest that before such discussions, at least a basic catechism be consulted so that statements like the Church invented the sacraments are avoided.

I appeal to all TV stations to give us competent people who can tackle an argument and are knowledgeable about the subject.

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Times: People are warmer than arguments

http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20090208/religion/people-are-warmer-than-arguments
Sunday, 8th February 2009 by Fr Joe Borg

"This man really loves gay people." Photo: Darrin Zammit Lupi

I watched most of the January 30 edition of Xarabank which discussed the Church and gays.

I particularly liked the interview with Archbishop Paul Cremona. It was a very difficult interview which could have easily gone wrong. Peppi Azzopardi was very fair in his line of questioning and gave the Archbishop all the time he needed to make the points he wanted to make. There was no evidence of the 'fil-qosor' attitude which is imposed on the presenter and the guests by the very nature of the programme.

Mgr Cremona had to navigate between two difficult poles. He had to clearly explain Church teachings on the subject, which would not endear him with the gay community. But he also had to show respect and love for gays.

One can dissect his answers and find points which were not as clear or strong as one would have liked them to be. But the Archbishop's strength lies not in his ability to give perfect answers but in his caring and loving attitude. It is really a case of 'the medium is the message'. A friend of mine who is generally critical of any interview he sees made just one comment: "This man really loves gay people."

Fr Anton Gouder was very well prepared, as he always is. He has facts and statistics at his fingertips. But this time his strength was elsewhere. He clearly made an effort to lower the usual pitch of his interventions by one or two notches. That saved the day. Fr Gouder was not mainly interested in winning the argument but in winning people over. His participation went down well, even with people who usually don't like what they consider to be his too brash style.

The day after the programme I asked Azzopardi whether he considered the panel unbalanced. He gave me a whole list of people and organisations the Xarabank team had contacted in an attempt to get "a sane Catholic voice" (his quote). They all said no.

He told me it would have been very easy for him to get well-known homophobic Catholics. It would have generated a 'fantastic' discussion but the subject would have been sensationalised beyond redemption, something that the producers wanted to avoid. Perhaps even Church authorities preferred to have the Archbishop and Fr Gouder defend the Church's case without the 'support' of overzealous Catholics.

A couple of days later Azzopardi phoned me with statistics showing that Mgr Cremona and Fr Gouder had spoken for as long as all the others panellists and guests put together.

Isn't it a pity that the Church, which in the past has produced people ready to face lions, finds it difficult to find anyone ready to face TV cameras? This is not the first time Catholics of a sensible disposition have shied away from TV discussions. Hot heads, on the other hand, seem to find no such problem.

This refusal to take part brings with it a different kind of imbalance. The Archbishop and Fr Gouder were presenting arguments. The members of the gay community were presenting their lives, loves, hurts and joys. People are always more warm than arguments, and generally tend to get people's sympathies more than concepts and ideas.

What the Church needs to prepare for the TV apostolate is not just (or mainly) good debaters but good witnesses - people who can give witness to their Christian living in the midst of the problems and difficulties they encounter.

Christianity, after all, is about people, not arguments.

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