SOS Qala

Abstract

Fr Lawrence Theuma's cri de coeur (The Sunday Times, September 17, p. 16) deserves a resounding accolade since it comes from an individual who is going against the grain. In fact, while some in the Church are laudably involved in pro-environmental initiatives, like the Green Commission, others, like the Augustinians who owned the land at Hondoq ir-Rummien or the Church authorities in Qala, are sitting on the fence, effectively undoing all the commendable work done previously by Mgr Karm Refalo who has managed to marshal Qala's residents against the project. This comes hot on the heels of revelations that the Gozo Curia had asked for more land to be included in the recent scheme extension, despite Bishop Emeritus Nikol Cauchi's views on the need for sustainable development (The Times, July 15). How can the Church look the other way when the prospect of bathers having to swim against the backdrop of yachts, rather than pristine waters, or of thousands of truckloads of hard rock excavated on site trundling their dusty way through tranquil Qala, is becoming more likely?