From Mr C. Busuttil

In reply to Joseph Vella’s letter "Paying to worship" regarding entrance to St John’s Co-Cathedral (TMIS, 23 July), I wish to clarify a few points he raised. St John’s Co-Cathedral is first and foremost a church. Hence, the church is open for prayer at any time. During opening hours as a museum, anyone requesting to enter the church to pray is admitted immediately without any payment whatsoever. Thus whoever wants to pray is requested to inform the custodians at the main entrance of their intention and they are guided to the designated chapel. Moreover, it is important to recall that St John’s Co-Cathedral is open everyday for Mass and prayer up to 9.30am, every Saturday in the evening and every Sunday in the morning and evening.

The foundation apologises for any incident which occurs when a visitor is not treated appropriately by one of the custodians. In this respect, the administration has identified the custodian who approached Mr Vella and has already taken the necessary action. Further, during a meeting for the custodians called by the foundation, its president, Mgr Philip Calleja, stressed the importance that the custodians’ behaviour with visitors should always befit a church.

The St John’s Co-Cathedral Foundation, set up by the government and the church, administers the church and its museum in order to ensure its effective conservation and management as a historical and architectural monument, as well as a sacred place of worship. The interest taken in St John’s Co-Cathedral results in a very high number of paying visitors, which is an indispensable income for the foundation. The overheads and ongoing maintenance, restoration and conservation costs are very, very high. The government donates the sum of Lm300,000 every five years for the conservation of the co-cathedral. The foundation’s administration is working hard to generate additional revenue for the maintenance and restoration of St John’s Co-Cathedral and the museum. Conservation programmes are constantly being carried out to the highest specifications in order to preserve the church in all its splendour for present and future generations. The foundation insists that this is carried out without affecting the integrity of the sacred nature of the place.

The foundation’s reward is managing to maintain a high standard while guaranteeing the conservation of the sacred integrity of St John’s Co-Cathedral.

Claude Busuttil

Executive Secretary

The St John’s Co-Cathedral Foundation

VALLETTA