I am not going to enter into the merits of Fr Montebello and his relationship with his archbishop. Nor am I going to enter into any fray regarding Fr Montebello’s political inclinations as well as his disputable way of speaking about the Church.

However, I do find it obnoxious when people use Fr Montebello for their own reasons.

If he is erring, it is something for him, his religious superiors and the archbishop to tackle, and nobody else should make the “dispute” any more the hotter – be it journalists of a certain type, as well as hypocritical individuals crying “scandal!” at every turn.

This brings me to my main point: increasingly I am noticing, around me, a sense of intransigence in matters pertaining to religion and morality, the so-called “values” that our politicians simply love speaking about. I am feeling that there is an increase in intolerance which, however, reaks heavy of hypocrisy – that sheer hypocrisy that drove Jesus Christ to use violence in the Temple, His Temple!

I sincerely hope that the likes of Angelo Micallef of Marsaxlokk (TMID 18 May) will not get the upper hand. Otherwise, “the den of thieves” will have its day!

Finally, as Mr Micallef was fully aware that Fr Montebello has been silenced, he nevertheless chose to write to criticise him in a vehement manner – fully knowing he cannot answer without further rendering his position a difficult one.

How’s that for hypocrisy at its best?

Franco Farrugia

Guardamangia