I would like to thank Ray Bonnici, Property Manager at the Archbishop’s Curia, for his clarifications regarding the installation of mobile telephony antennae on Balzan parish church (TMID, 9 October 2009). However, some parts of his letter are vague and do not provide satisfactory answers.

Mr Bonnici wrote that the agreements the Archdiocese has with the three mobile telephone providers “contain adequate conditions to safeguard church interest and to protect the properties on which the equipment is installed.” Can he please be more specific about these ‘adequate conditions’?

He stated also that: “Every possible measure is taken to safeguard the structural, historical and aesthetical integrity of the building.” In this regard, the only measures he mentioned are “the use of cable trays and stainless steel screws and the camouflaging of panels to minimise the visual impact.” Whilst declaring that a priori I am against the fixing of any sort of metal to a historic stone structure, religious or otherwise, I would be interested to know what other measures are being taken in this regard.

Finally, people like me who have the national heritage at heart would like to know the criteria followed by the Curia when it identifies a particular building (in this case a parish church) and gives the green light for the installation of mobile telephony antennae.

Carmel Bezzina

Balzan