Karl Gouder
We find ourselves in surreal times. We Maltese say that we
are the best in the world in the best of times – L-Aqwa fid-Dinja fl-Aqwa Żmien.
We take pride in our progress and yet few have the courage to utter the
seven-letter word starting with "s" describing the death of Karl
Gouder, former Nationalist MP, ex-mayor of San Ġiljan, and candidate for the
esteemed position of general secretary of the same political party.
If Daphne Caruana Galizia were around, she would
immediately clarify how, why, and what transpired to him, without concern for
privacy. That was her journalistic
style, whether you agreed with it or not. She believed that once someone holds
a prominent position, they cannot expect their private matters to remain
confidential. Some may concur, others may not. But Malta is small, and many are
aware of how Karl died, and perhaps why.
In the early days following his death, the family
themselves sought answers about what might have driven Karl to do what he
did. Then, an eerie silence fell after
Fr. Joe Borg's appeal to stop gossiping about
Karl Gouder's death under the guise of respecting the deceased and their
family. Although he is partly right,
people secretly continued to ask questions, for Borg’s appeal only heightened
curiosity. Many began to believe there
was indeed more to the story but did not have the guts to say it, not even on
the notoriously social media channels who usually thrive on gossip or what Fr
Joe called ‘’zekzik’’.
During the celebration of life—a clichéd alternative to a
funeral that often obscures the truth—Fr. Claude Portelli, the parish priest of
San Ġiljan, finally hinted at the circumstances surrounding Karl's death. The
priest’s gestures and personal revelations suggested he shared a close bond
with Karl, indicating he was genuinely affected. In front of numerous
politicians, including the President of the Republic of Malta and Labour Prime
Minister Robert Abela with his wife, Fr. Claude emphasized the need to protect
politicians from vicious threats. Then he stopped abruptly.
For Fr Claude, this was probably one of the most
challenging funeral sermons. He deserves some praise for that. But Fr. Claude must also be aware that
earlier this month on the 1st of September, in the Sunday Gospel,
Jesus stated:
“Listen to me, all of you, and understand me!
… For it is from within, out of a person’s heart, that evil thoughts come –
sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness,
envy, slander, arrogance and folly. All these evils come from inside and defile
a person (Mark 7,21-23)
Perhaps Jesus included mental health with folly. Yet, it is
from the Word of God, we understand the reasons behind any tragic departure
from this world. The parish priest of San Ġiljan wisely chose not to delve
deeply into the twelve harmful thoughts emerging from the human heart that lead
to tragedies. It was not the time for that and he craftily avoided it. Yet, Fr Claude is mistaken by hinting that
the fault lies only with the governing politicians who neglect to protect their
vulnerable peers. If you are vulnerable, perhaps politics isn’t for you. The
failure also extends to the clergy, who no longer call sin a sin out of fear of becoming
irrelevant and appease all kind of bad policies done by politicians.
The final whitewashing
was done at the end of the funeral with Frank Sinatra's 1969 song
"My Way.’’ For any Christian knows that alone, one cannot save
his life doing it "his way" indulging in his sins. Man needs a Redeemer to atone for his sins,
who searches for him when he is lost like the lost Drachma coin that resembles
souls dreadfully feeling lost in this world abandoned by God and humankind
alike. This redemption is done by
calling sin a sin and not taking PRIDE in what caused that Drachma coin to
become lost in the first place.
The Word of God will help us read our lives for it exposes
us bare and shows to us what otherwise we try to escape from. On the day of Karl’s death, September 10th,
there was a weird coincidence. I’m not
referring to World Suicide Prevention Day
but to the reading of the daily Catholic Mass taken from the first
letter of Saint Paul the Apostle to the Corinthians:
“Injustice is done by yourselves, and you
deceive others, and this to your brothers! Do you not know that the unjust will
not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived! Neither fornicators, nor
idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor
covetous, nor swindlers, nor revilers, nor kidnappers, will inherit the kingdom
of God. And of these were some of you! But now you have been cleansed,
sanctified and justified in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit
of our God.” (1 Cor 6:10-11)
Here, too, is a clear list similar to Jesus’s list found in
Mark 7. St Paul is just more
straightforward by hitting hard against sinners and not just sin.
Maltese society is sick, very sick. This is why as a Maltese society, we all
share Karl Gouder’s tragedy and the Lord will take account of our failures for
His Mercy presumes His wrath. His Divine
ways are not our ways or any ‘’My May’’ sung as beautifully as you wish. May Karl’s soul rest in peace.
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