Quite some time has elapsed since there was a change of leadership in the Maltese Church. There had been reports and controversies about disarray and management problems that led, if I understood what was going on, to the resignation of former archbishop Cremona.

As a result, the expectation was that changes (let’s not call them reforms) were due to be launched under the new leadership. What they would be and how they were to be be implemented could be considered as matters within the domain of the public interest. Even if not, they surely could be considered as interesting.

As one of the oldest national constituted bodies, if not the most ancient, the Catholic Church has experienced in recent years upheavals that tore violently at its moral and material foundations. Now, it is curious that though its new leader has participated in various public relations exercises, news remains sparse and commentaries even more so about how crucial issues in the governance and organization of the Church are being dealt with.

Or did I miss them?      

***

Sea links

The damage incurred by a Virtu ferries vessel, and the curtailment of the service by which private cars get carried to and from Sicily, are not just an inconvenicnce for those planning car trips to Sicily. It raises a query: have sea links between Malta and Italy deteriorated over the years?

My impression is that they have been greatly reduced, compared to when say, the Tirrenia and Sea Malta lines were in operation. Thankfully, the Virtu company has managed to keep the service running – when repair problems are absent.

One could argue that if sea links are no longer what they were, this would not be a major problem. Instead of by sea, Malta residents can now go abroad by air. Indeed, air traffic to and from Malta has grown exponentially over the last twenty years.

Yet, for a small island situated at the periphery of a continent, a reduction in services provided by regular sea links is an added handicap. This is not an issue which should be delegated to the free market for resolution according to its rules. 

***

1966

I viewed a video of the final game in the World Cup Competition of 1966 between England and (West) Germany (football). It went beyond being a drill in nostalgia and memory, to become an intriguing experience. Obviously one knew that the Brits had won.

However I hardly remembered anything of what did or did not happen. For instance, I forgot that the game had gone on to extra time following a goal by the German team thirty seconds before the end of the game proper. So I could follow the proceedings as if they were live. It was an exciting match.

In original version, I saw it on the TV of a family of German farmers who hosted me as a summer worker. For some reason which I cannot remember, I then was a “fan” of the English squad. I tried to keep this a secret preference, but my hosts guessed it. I was sorry to see them so disappointed with the result.

Now that I’ve seen the game again from beginning to end, I agree that the German side was good enough not to have lost. They made up for it later.