I’ll bet he didn’t – he’s a know it all who isn’t aware of his own intellectual limits.

The system in Malta rallies round the bully – even this is a lesson learnt at school.

Last I heard on more than one count, it’s not the bully who’s pressured by school administrators to correct his behaviour, but the victim – to change school.

Shocking that discipline by the feeble school administration isn’t stricter, but some children are safe in the knowledge that they won’t ever be expelled.

Outside of school things don’t change: from one profession to another, in Malta and out, the credentials of a Maltese bully earn him a false but legalised respect.

If kids in Malta are to learn anything one should start from basic definitions.

Joe Grima is borrowing his from Hagar Qim.

Karmenu Vella

Nobody notices his absence, which is a good thing.

This means that he is totally ineffectual.

This is also a good thing.

I wouldn’t mind contributing to a fund intended to foot the bills for him to stay away on holiday for the next four years and a half years.

His occasional presence on the Island so far has only been somewhat of a liability.

@ Harry
Too late. Mallia is borrowing his clothes from Joe Grima.

In The Sunday Times today:

Archbishop’s engagements

Saturday
8.30am The Archbishop celebrates Mass and blesses the tombs of the Knights at St John’s Co-Cathedral, Valletta.
9.30am He presides over the first meeting of a new session of the Presbyteral Council at the Curia.
7pm He celebrates Pontifical Mass on the National Day of Our Lady of Victories at Our Lady of Victories Basilica, Senglea.

Sunday
9.30am The Archbishop celebratres a Pontifical High Mass on the Feast of Our Lady of Victories.
6pm The Archbishop celebrates Mass at St Paul’s Bay parish church on the occasion of the perpetual religious profession of the Augustian Sisters Roseann Azzopardi and Sandra Gauci.

So here we’re differentiating between national day and feast, where the national day will have a pontifical mass while on the feast day pontifical high mass will be celebrated.

What a mess.

Who will be acting president when George Abela is away next week?

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151846343115469&set=a.76571780468.113804.69858080468&type=1&theater

http://www.maltadiocese.org/posts/detail/2-8-ta-settembru.37595

Is-Sibt

8.30 a.m. L-Arċisqof jiċċelebra Quddiesa u jbierek l-oqbra tal-Kavallieri, fil-KonKatidral ta’ San Ġwann, il-Belt Valletta.

9.30 a.m. L-Arċisqof jippresiedi l-ewwel laqgħa ta’ sessjoni ġdida tal-Kunsill Presbiterali, l-Kurja.

7.00 p.m. L-Arċisqof jiċċelebra Quddiesa Pontifikali fl-okkażjoni tal-Festa Nazzjonali ta’ Jum il-Vitorja, fil-Bażilka tal-Isla.

Il-Ħadd

9.30 a.m. L-Arċisqof imexxi Quddiesa Pontifikali fl-okkażjoni tal-Festa tal-Vitorja fil-Konkatidral ta’ San Ġwann, Valletta.

So the archbishop will preside over two pontifical masses one in Senglea on the eve of the feast and the traditional one which has always been celebrated on the day.

Now we have five national feasts and one of them will have two pontifical masses.

Why is the president making a point of being away on 8 September?

That’s when a pontifical mass is celebrated at St John’s Cathedral: 8 September marks the victory of the Knights of St John in the Ottoman siege.

Now some bright spark in Maltese history wants to do things differently and has demanded that the bishop(s) celebrate a pontifical mass first in Senglea, next year in Naxxar and then in Mellieha – all these places celebrate the feast of Our lady of Victories better known as Il-Bambina.

I don’t think this can be done because there are probably written obligations to which the Maltese Curia must oblige.

So on 8 September the government MPs will probably go to the pontifical mass at Senglea while the Archbishop will celebrate the official pontifical thanksgiving mass for the 1565 Vit(t)orja over the Turks.

Now we will see if there is a separation between the church and the state. This time round it is the government which is presenting the church with a fait accompli as to where the mass should be held.