Malta’s Most WTF Moments Of 2016 (So Far)
1. The Bishop of Gozo walked to pray for rain …and it actually poured
Image courtesy of Bishop Mario Grech’s Facebook page
Nothing says ‘Church in Malta’ like a quick throwback to medieval thinking. In a show of force against the evils of climate change, Gozitan Bishop Mario Grech led a hoard of angry pilgrims through the streets (and hills) of Gozo. This walk, intended as penance for the wrongdoings that had brought about our terrible drought, received harsh criticism from both Catholics and non-believers alike. Going for a stroll in the hopes of altering the weather is already strange enough, but then it got stranger:
Three days after the faithful had returned to their homes (presumably to gather wood for the next time their village caught a witch), it actually rained. The Bishop decided to be gracious in his triumph, and didn’t officially claim credit for saving our harvests. Well, unless you count this one sassy post (that we can all agree he was entitled to).
2. People argued about the morning after pill… and how it encourages rape.
The debate about the morning after pill has raged on for some time now, with many highs and lows when it comes to arguments. We’ve seen people use science, personal opinion and, of course, religion to argue their point. And arguing is perfectly fine – because anything is better than silence. Well, anything except for the argument that the availability of the morning after pill will lead to an increase in the number of rape cases according to pro-life group “Women for life”. That seems like a pretty messed up statement, until you read the reasoning behind it:
Apparently, male rapists will be actively encouraged to carry out this horrible crime. The morning after pill will (apparently) allow “male perpetrators to cover their crimes by forcing the morning-after pill to their female victims”. Turns out you do need a baby to prove rape.
3. A man tried to penetrate the tourist industry… by blowing up a cave wall
We live in a world of harsh double standards. We push for more forward-thinking, creative thinking at the workplace, but when one entrepreneur comes up with an explosive new way to break into the tourism industry, we cry foul and arrest the businessman in question. Perhaps it’s because we live in a country that stifles entrepreneurial innovation, or perhaps it’s something a bit stranger than that:
This March, MEPA called the police to investigate a ‘rock cutting incident’ in Gozo’s Inland Sea, where it is believed that explosive material was used to widen a natural cave entrance. Allegedly, the reason behind this dastardly scheme was to widen the natural opening in the rock, to a point where a bigger boat would be able to glide in and out.
4. Police stopped a BMW driver for reckless behaviour three times… a 12 year-old reckless driver
Road safety in Malta is considered a priority, just not as much of a priority as parking anywhere to buy a pastizz, pushing 100km/h in a 10m road, and honking the second the traffic lights turn green. Malta has had its fair share of strange vehicular shenanigans, but nothing is quite as odd as a car chase that led police to discover the perpetrator was just 12 years old; that is until you consider:
The same boy was pulled over twice more, for the exact same infraction.