From Mr E. Vella

I refer to the letter by Charles Borg titled “What does Mater Dei really mean?” (TMIS, 11 September). I would like to put Mr Borg’s mind at rest that many people know what Mater Dei means and embrace it as one of the many treasures of our Catholic faith. It seems that Mr Borg’s problem here is not whether the name is appropriate for our new hospital but his problem clearly has to do with the Catholic faith.

We cannot separate Christ’s human and Divine nature and in this sense Mary did not give birth to one of Christ’s natures but to His person as a whole. I quote one of the early fathers of the Catholic (universal) Church (AD 405), Theodore of Mopsuestia who wrote: “When, therefore, they ask, ‘Is Mary the mother of man or the Mother of God?’ We answer BOTH! The one by the very nature of what was done and the other by relation.”

So we can rightly say and believe that the Virgin Mary is truly the Mother of Jesus Christ as God and man. This I must say is one of the many mysteries of our faith and one must have faith to embrace a mystery and not common sense, as Mr Borg is clearly trying to do.

For further knowledge I recommend the following link: www.catholic.com/library/mary_mother_of_god.asp.

Edwin Vella

ZEJTUN