In his letter entitled Fr Mark Montebello, silence and obedience, (TMID May 20) Franco Farrugia of Guardamangia decided to call me a hypocrite because I expressed my opinion on what Fr Mark Montebello said in an interview in a Sunday newspaper.

Firstly I would like to ask Mr. Farrugia what he meant when he said: “However I do find it obnoxious when people use Fr Montebello for their own reasons”. Is he implying that I gained anything from criticising Fr Montebello?

If so I would like to inform Mr Farrugia that my criticism of Fr Mark gave me nothing except the “honour” of being called a hypocrite in the newspaper.

I believe that Mr Farrugia needs to go and check his dictionary. The word “hypocrite” refers to someone who shows one face but actually has another. I have never acted in such a manner.

My criticism of Fr Mark was open and clear. There is indeed no hypocrisy in it. Had Mr Farrugia bothered to understand my earlier letter, he would have known that the last thing I said was that I respect Fr Mark’s freedom of expression and belief.

Mr Farrugia then criticised me for writing a letter about a man who had been silenced. Perhaps Mr Farrugia is not aware that since being silenced, Fr Mark has given an interview to a Sunday newspaper and Bondiplus.

This means that Fr Mark was willing to risk being criticised.

Indeed, the only hypocrite in this case is Franco Farrugia who, while saying that Fr Mark has a right to his opinion, is trying to tell me to shut up and keep my opinion to myself. How’s that for hypocrisy at its best?

Angelo Micallef

Marsaxlokk