It was with pleasure that I heard the Bishops speak of taking care of the natural environment in their Advent pastoral letter. They said that because we are so small we are more vulnerable. Pastoral operators like priests and catechists should pass on this message. Add another love to the traditional three loves: Love God, Love Yourself, Love Others, Love the natural environment. Love the natural environment because it reflects God’s beauty and goodness. Love the natural environment above all because this is the future of our children. This is a practice of the virtue justice.

It was with pleasure too that I read the Bishop of Gozo’s circular telling us to pray for rain. He said we should also say prayers of reparation for those who are contaminating water supplies and who are stealing water from the water table by illegal bore holes. I would like to point out that the Bishop should have blamed the government above all because it is the regulator. It turned a blind eye and did not lay down certain restrictions.

And I would like to tell our Bishop: stop building the Nadur Cemetery because it is contaminating the Ghajn Qasab water. I would like to point out certain things lest we forget. This cemetery was given a permit against all reason: it is sitting on top of a natural spring supplying about 10,000 gallons of water a day. We drank of that water. When tested only the nitrate level was in excess of potable water. So this water is suitable for irrigation. The land is fertile, a natural paradise, like Lunzjata. But we fear it will be contaminated by the cemetery. The appeal against this permit is still pending, and the work on the cemetery is coming to a conclusion. I wish to ask: Why was this area chosen by the insensitive Church? An area close to Ramla Bay and on top of a natural water aquifer. Why were the Minister of Gozo and Parliamentary Secretary Said, in favour of such a site?

I would like to bend the ear of our Bishop, to hear the plaintive cry of the farmers working the Ghajn Qasab land. A group of these farmers went to speak to him at the Curia, but he went to the Seminary. They followed him to the Seminary but he left from another door.

There is still time to stop this ruination and reverse it. So stop it. This way I would believe that you are sincere in what you are saying.

Joe Portelli

NADUR