I am compelled to express my sorrow at the passing away of superstars and to record my disgust at the recent atrocious, senseless and barbaric attacks in Brussels and Baghdad in the past days. People act and behave differently in different situations. Most try to be of genuine service to others, but a despicable handful of cowards try to dominate the rest through terror and acts of horror. Unfortunately, it often seems that they are gaining a winning hand, but hopefully this is short-lived and normality and sanity restored before too long.
Archbishop Emeritus Mgr Joseph Mercieca passed away on Monday 21. He served at the helm of the Church for thirty years. The man of God faced turbulent and politically highly-charged circumstances. Nonetheless, he kept unwavering in his pastoral mission and saved the Church and Malta from another head-on collision between state and church. Despite the various attempts that were made to publicly humiliate him, Mgr Mercieca kept walking straight. He went a step further, and offered forgiveness to those who allowed themselves to be used by unscrupulous political leaders who failed to lay their hands on what was not theirs.
During his episcopate, the soft-spoken Archbishop was tagged with many labels. Some, with hidden and personal agendas, were quick to brand Mgr Mercieca as the mouthpiece of the Nationalist Party. Others tagged him as an MLP mole in the Church institution.
None of the tags fitted him.
In an inimitable style of leadership, he compromised on petty issues but did not budge when the Church authority was challenged. Archbishop Emeritus Mercieca will be remembered for the excellent pastoral work he fulfilled in silence.
Mgr Mercieca’s passing away was followed on Tuesday 22 with two simultaneous atrocious attacks in Brussels. Innocent commuters travelling to attend to their business had something completely different waiting for them. Misguided persons, for a cause which can never be justified, blew themselves to smithereens in the busy hours of the morning, killing, maiming and injuring hundreds, and leaving many others in a state of shock.
On Thursday 24, footballer Johan Cruyff passed away at the age of 67. Cruyff, a formidable athlete, had mastery and inimitable ball control, a wonderful balance, and the speed of a cheetah. His greatest talent was his astute sense of his teammates' positions on the pitch.
Cruyff fitted elegantly in the total football strategy. In total football, a player who moves out of his position is replaced by another from his team, thus retaining the team's intended organisational structure. In this flexible strategy, only the goalkeeper stays in a fixed, predetermined place between the goalposts; the rest move to attacker, midfielder and defender roles as opportune. Cryuff’s ability to quickly and comfortably switch between multiple positions, which required considerable technical and physical demands, earned him many prestigious titles. As a player, he won the Ballon d'Or three times and received the Golden Ball as player of the 1974 FIFA World Cup, among many other. Cruyff mesmerised many football enthusiasts around the world with his abilities in the pitch. He will definitely go down in football’s history as one of its greatest.
Last Friday, Christians around the world marked the crucifixion of the Man from Nazareth. For Christians, Good Friday is a crucial day, leading to the most momentous event in the history of the world. Ever since Jesus died Christians have proclaimed the cross and resurrection of Jesus to be the decisive turning point for all creation. On Good Friday, Jesus willingly suffered and died by crucifixion as the ultimate sacrifice for our sins. Though Jesus of Nazareth grew up in humble circumstances, His impact on the world was profound and enduring
This episode in the life of Jesus was reproduced in various pageants around the Islands. But for me, Jesus Christ Superstar, the 70s rock opera with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyrics by Tim Rice, remains one of my favourite films during Holy Week.
The story loosely based on the Gospels' accounts of the last week of Jesus's life, beginning with the preparation for the arrival of Jesus and his disciples in Jerusalem and ending with the crucifixion. It highlights political and interpersonal struggles between Judas Iscariot and Jesus. A large part of the plot focuses on the character of Judas.
On Saturday 26, a suicide bomber blew himself in yet another senseless attack during the presentation of trophies after a football tournament, some 40 kilometres south of Baghdad, killing, maiming and wounding many young aspiring footballers and spectators.
This was followed by Easter Sunday, the glorious celebration with Jesus heralding his victory over sin and death and pointing ahead to a future resurrection for all who are united to Him by faith. While all men are called to serve others with respect and honesty, some elect to commit vicious and violent acts against others. Is this God’s will one may ask?
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