Ċensura ekkleżjali

Ma sibtx kif inwieġeb meta saqsewni x’naħseb dwar iċ-ċensura li jinsab taħtha Mark Montebello. M’inix reliġjuż u ma naqbel xejn maċ-ċensura.

Min-naħa, meta tidħol membru ta’ Ordni reliġjuż, qisek dħalt fl-armata. Fil-fatt, minn isimhom stess, id-dumnikani huma l-klieb tal-għassa tal-Mulej. Fil-loġika ta’ kif is-sistema kollha reliġjuża hi organizzata, jista’ kelb tal-għassa minn rajh, jikkontesta l-istrateġija tal-ġenerali li jmexxu r-reġiment? jew bla ma jitolbuh, jagħtihom pariri quddiem kulħadd? Aktar u aktar meta l-kelb tal-għassa qiegħed fejn qiegħed skont il-volontà tiegħu – mhux kif jiġri għall-klieb, għax twieldu jew inbigħu ġo dixxiplina “militari”.

Min-naħa l-oħra, bl-għeruq u x-xniexel jien kontra ċ-ċensura!

Biex tgħaxxaqha d-dilemma tiegħi kienet aktar akuta għax inqalgħet fi żmien meta kont qed nerġa’ naqra novella ta’ Cervantes dwar il-klieb Berganza u Scipio. Matulha jiddiskutu fost oħrajn kwistjonijiet ta’ governanza li jikkonċernaw il-klieb. Jagħmlu dan b’manswetudni riflessiva li ttektek bil-makakkerija. Lil hinn miċ-ċensura, Berganza u Scipio f’diskorshom forsi huma aktar sovversivi mit-teżijiet ta’ Montebello.

***

FL-IRLANDA

Ir-referendum fuq l-abort fl-Irlanda ta r-riżultat li ta. Imissu jservi ta’ twissija lill-fundamentalisti f’pajjiżna li għadhom ma tgħallmux kif il-gwerer tat-tiben jintilfu mhux mid-direzzjoni lejn fejn tidderiġihom, imma minn wara dahrek.

Fl-Irlanda nnifisha madankollu, l-aqwa problema dwar il-futur għadha mdendla. Kull ma nisma’ u nara dwar x’se jiġri wara l-Brexit donnu jindika li għad ma nstabitx soluzzjoni serja għal kif l-Irlandiżi se jkunu jistgħu jibqgħu jgħixu bħal-lum, mifrudin imma magħquda, u fil-paċi wara deċennji ta’ dmija u mibegħda.

Soluzzjonijiet tekniċi sodi għal kif in-nord u s-sud tal-gżira jinżammu bla fruntiera għadhom nieqsa – għalkemm jintqal li ftit jew wisq, ir-rieda politika biex jinstabu qiegħda hemm fost “kulħadd”. Iż-żmien qed jagħfas.

***

FOOT EWROPEW

Ħabib tiegħi qalli: L-għaqda Ewropea mhux se tissaħħaħ b’dak li jiġri fil-Parlament Ewropew… jew fil-kunsilli u l-kummissjonijiet li ssemmi. Se tissaħħaħ bil-futball.

Fissirli kif għaddejja inizjattiva biex il-kampjonat Ewropew jinbidel f’lega bejn timijiet minn pajjiżi differenti li jikkompetu bejniethom tul staġun sħiħ biex jirbħu l-ewwel post fil-lega. Kompetizzjoni bħal din, sostna kollu entużjażmu, toħloq interess enormi, popolari u kummerċjali, u żgur iġġib lill-Ewropej kollha attenti flimkien, kif l-ebda elezzjoni Ewropea mhi qed tagħmel. Anke Agnelli tal-Juventus jidher li hu favur tagħha…

Nimmaġina li l-ħabib tiegħi għandu raġun. Imma x’se jiġri mill-pajjiżi Ewropej li jibqgħu barra mil-lega Ewropea li qed timlieh b’daqstant entużjażmu? Mhumiex se jħossuhom tat-tieni u t-tielet rang, bħal ma jiġri bil-Eurovision?… f’Ewropa li skont hu, se tħossha magħquda bil-kbir fl-aħħar…

English Version – Ecclesial censorship

I was at a loss for a reply when asked for my opinion concerning the censorship applied to Mark Montebello. I am not a religious person and disagree totally with censorship. However…

On the one hand, when one becomes a member of a religious order, I guess it’s like joining the army. Indeed as of their very title, dominican friars feature as the Lord’s guard dogs. Given the overall logic of how a religious system is organized, can a guard dog acting on his own, contest the strategy of the regiment’s generals? or give them unsolicited advice in public? This has special relevance given too that the “guard dog” in question chose to be in that situation – not like “real” dogs, who have been born or sold into a “military” way of life.

On the other hand, I stand one hundred per cent against censorship!

To be sure, my dilemma was compounded by the fact that when it arose, I happened to be rereading a Cervantes story about the hounds Berganza and Scipio. In it, they discuss among other subjects, governance issues related to the life of dogs. They do this reflectively and submissively, in a way that throbs with a sense of cunning. Beyond censorship, in their conversation Berganza and Scipio could conceivably have been more subversive than Montebello’s theses.

***

In Ireland

The result of the abortion referendum in Ireland was quite clear. It should serve as a warning to the fundamentalists of this country who have yet to learn that when you wage straw wars, the likelihood is that you will lose them not from the direction at which you aim your fire, but from your rear.

In Ireland itself though, the main problem that the future holds remains unresolved. All I hear and see about what should happen post Brexit seems to indicate that a serious solution still needs to be discovered as to how the Irish can retain today’s status quo, by which they are separated and yet united, as well as in peace, after decades of blood letting and hate mongering.

Water tight technical solutions by which the island’s north and south can live on without frontiers are still inexistent – even if it is said that more or less, the political will to find them is there, among “all” concerned. There is not much time left.

***

European foot

A friend said: European uniity will not get stronger with what goes on in the European Parliament… or in the councils and commissions you’re all the time mentioning. Football will do the trick.

He explained how an initiative is being proposed to convert the European champions competition into a league between teams from different countries. It would last for a whole season as teams strive to get to the top. Such a competition, he claimed enthusiastically, would stimulate huge popular and commercial interest, and would surely mobilise the attention of Europeans around a common cause, as no European election has ever succeeded in doing. Even Agnellli of Juventus is in favour of such a development…

I guess my friend could be right. But what will happen to those countries which will not be playing in the European league that he views so enthusiastically? Will they not feel like they’re second or third grade, as with Eurovision? … in a Europe which according to him, will feel that at last it is truly united…