Fr Marc Andre Camilleri has a problem… very much of his own making | Frank Camilleri

Paola parish priest Fr Marc Andre Camilleri does have a problem and it is one of his own making. Cracks in the roof of the basilica he is responsible for and other structural problems do not happen overnight. They take time to develop and he had 10 years to make sure these things do not happen.

So, the question begs: Where has the priest been all these years?

Structural problems usually result from mismanagement, which in turn as I believe has happened in this case, is the result of lack of experience. It could also possibly be the result of funding the wrong priorities such as the embellishment of the internal parts of the basilica rather than investment in routine maintenance of the external areas as should have been the case.

Fr Camilleri could not have had any illusions as to the size of the Church he was given to administer by Archishop Pawlu Cremona back in 2014. It couldn’t have escaped him that it required continuous and routine maintenance. Apparently, his priorities were misplaced and the results are now there for all to see.

Blame must also be shared by those who appointed him parish priest to one of the largest, if not the largest church in Malta.

Fr Marc Andre Camilleri was ordained priest in 2010 and was appointed parish priest of Paola’s Christ the King parish four years later. It was too tender an age for anyone to be burdened with such a big responsibility.

Since the appointment of a parish priest is the prerogative of the archbishop, then the Curia must accept this responsibility and dig into its pockets to solve the problem.

However, the Curia and Archbishop Charles Scicluna appear more interested in giving their blessing to the rooftop cafeteria project than lift a finger to help solve the problem. All Mgr Charles Scicluna can come up with is a lame press release claiming that the original drawings of the intended commercial establishments on the roof of the basilica have been amended.

In trying to solve the financial malaise, Fr Camilleri’s only solution is to commercialise the premises or else close the doors to all the faithful frequenting this magnificent place of worship. Come on Father, is it possible you cannot do better.

Well, I remember when the present Basilica was still being built. I was there since my tender age of 10 when as a member of the Catholic Action Group I used to attend catechism lessons in one of the rooms below one of the belfries.

I saw the Basilica going up stone by stone, each stone crafted and polished manually and subsequently hauled up to the upper part of the structure using pulleys and ropes.

At that time, the population of Paola was much less than what it is today. Today, it stands at some 12,000 persons. The income of parishioners was also miserably lower than what it is today.

There were obviously costs involved running into thousands of Maltese Liri needed to buy stone, pay the craftsmen and labourers, cement, steel and sundries.

But never had it ever crossed the parish priest’s mind at the time to commercialise the premises in any way, or to go to the media with some fantasy story.

At the time, the Paola parish church was administered by two very competent and affectionate priests, whom every parishioner loved.

These were Fr Angelo Xuereb and Fr D. Agius, who were both raised to monsignor level in recognition of their sterling work in the completion and running of the Paola parish church.

What bugs me in all this saga is the fact that Fr Marc Andre Camilleri has not come up with any professional studies, as should have been the case, to justify the realisation of his project. One might ask, where is the data for revenues and expenditures over the years. Where has all the money been coming from and where has it gone and what can be done to improve on the figures presented.

And what about a professional study with financialpProjections showing what revenues are expected to follow the implementation of the intended commercial establishment on the basilica roof.

Apparently, there are none, at least not that I have heard of.

As per Camilleri’s own statement, these commercial premises will be operated by third parties and not by the parish administration. This means that all the profits (assuming there will be profits) will be pocketed by the Operators whilst the basilica administration will be getting the leftovers in the form of rentals or leases.

The question is what would be the contribution of these rentals or leases to the present and future requirements for the running of the basilica. Are these expected revenues to be sufficiently robust to justify commercialising a sacred building?

How somebody can try to justify these intended monstrosities to the parishioners, media and all without presenting such information is something that beckons serious thinking with regards to the proposer,

What is also to be considered as disturbing is the fact, that the motive behind the need to establish these commercial establishments on top of the basilica is the need to raise funds and not because of some noble intention.

The basilica will not in any way benefit from any embellishment to its grandeur, internally or externally should these commercial outlets be realised. Fr Marc Andre Camilleri simply wants to plug leaking roofs and repair crumbling stones by leasing out part of church property.

There are many ways to raise funds for the cause. Fr Camilleri can take the example of his predecessors, learn from them and be creative.

He should stop fantasizing and start a proper management programme that will command the respect of all.

If he cannot do it the right way, he is not the man for the job and should make way for someone else.

Other logistical points come into the fray. Prospective customers for the intended establishments need to go up and come down in lifts. To cater for what is being intended as per application with the Planning Authority, there must be no less than two lifts each holding between 8 – 10 persons, to handle the flow of patrons efficiently.

One need only imagine the monstrosity of the structure that needs to be set up to accommodate these lifts. A big eye-sore indeed. I am not sure if the requirements for these lifts have been included in the application to the Planning Authority. Hopefully yes, as it adds to another big NO to granting the permit.

I think this idea of commercialising such a historic and magnificent monument is too hard to accept as being realistic and not some fantasy of the mind.

It is a desperate attempt by someone who so apparently failed in his mission of managing his parish efficiently and for which the parishioners and the people of Malta are being asked to sacrifice such a monument. It should be opposed at all costs.

I think Prime Minister Robert Abela was correct to express his feelings in the strongest terms as he did. I do not personally agree on anything with the Prime Minister, but on this one, for sure, he has my sympathy.