HONORARY CONSULATE OF THE CZECH REPUBLIC
MALTA
Launch of Czech Cultural Week – Malta 2006
Speech by Mr Tonio Casapinta, Honorary Consul of the Czech Republic in Malta
Ladies and Gentlemen,
It is my pleasure to address you to day and give you details of the programme for the
Czech Cultural Week 2006, which has been planned jointly between this Consulate and
the Embassy of the Czech Republic in Rome.
This is the fourth edition of the Cultural Week, since the Consulate had been established
in 1995. During these years we have endeavored to bring over to Malta a good taste of
Czech Culture and our events have created a lot of interest and we have gained a
reputation for quality performances. A proof of this is the repeat presence of Czech
musicians in Malta in these last two years.
This cannot be made possible unless we receive support from our Main Sponsors and I
wish to start my speech to-day by publicly thanking Corinthia Hotels International and
Czech Tourism for their support.
First of all I wish to introduce to you the protagonists of this week starting from Mr
Wilfred Kenely, Chairman of Teatru Manoel, Ms Judie Farrugia, General Manager of
Teatru Manoel, Mr Chris Gatt the General Manager of St James Cavalier and Comm Dr
Jaime H. Cremona who is the President of the Maltese Association of the Order of Malta.
I wish to publicly thank them on behalf of the Embassy of the Czech Republic for the
help they have and are giving to our Consulate to organize these events
We will start with a “”Czech Film Week”” at St James Cavalier, the Centre for
Creativity. I will leave it to Chris to go into further detail on the films being projected,
but I wish to say that we have a good mix of films, some produced during the Communist
era and two others in recent times.
On Sunday 21st October we will be inaugurating a Czech Contemporary Jewellery
Exhibition in Sala Isuoard here at Teatru Manoel by two well-known Czech
Contemporary Jewellery Designers Martina Minarikova and Karel Votipka. This
exhibition will remain open till Tuesday 24th October. I do encourage Maltese handicraft
designers and especially students of Art & Design at MCAST to visit this exhibition.
On Monday 22nd October we will be greatly honoured to have in Malta His Eminence
Cardinal Tomas Spidlik s.j. Cardinal Spidlik who is Czech, but has lived for many years
in Rome, has accepted our Consulate’s invitation to visit Malta and officiate at a unique
religious celebration when we will be donating a full size porcelain statue of the Infant
Jesus of Prague to the Maltese Association of the Order of Malta.
The Grand Priory of Bohemia of the Order of Malta is in fact the protector of the original
Statue of the Infant Jesus of Prague. This Statue is very dear to the hearts of each and
every Czech and is considered as a symbol of national unity such as the crown jewels of
the Czech Kings which are kept in St Vitus Cathedral in Prague Castle.
Here I wish to thank first and foremost His Excellency Comm Dr Jaime H. Cremona and
his Council who most enthusiastically accepted this donation and strived to have the
statue placed for permanent veneration at the Church of Our Lady of the Victories in
Valletta next door to Casa Lanfreducci, the seat of the Maltese Association of the Order.
Cardinal Spiklik at the age of 87 years is a great man of wisdom and knowledge. He is
considered as one of the greatest experts of the spirituality of Eastern Christianity to day.
He has published numerous books and publications and for over 45 years served as a
Professor of Patristic and Eastern Spiritual Theology at various Universities in Rome and
around the world.
Since 1951, Fr Spidlik, as he was known before being elected Cardinal by the late Pope
John Paul II, worked at the Vatican Radio from where he used to broadcast programmes
to the Countries behind the Iron Curtain. In March 1995 Fr Spidlik led Spiritual
Exercises for Pope John Paul II and the Vatican Curia and before the start of the
Conclave which had elected Cardinal Ratzinger as the new Pope, he delivered a
meditation to the Cardinals in the Sistine Chapel.
I am sure that the Maltese will give His Eminence our usual warm welcome.
I also wish to thank the Maltese Ecclesiastical Authorities and the Cathedral Chapter
who, without any hesitation gave us all the necessary permits for this celebration to be
held at St John’s Co-cathedral in Valletta on Monday 22nd October at 18.00 hrs when His
Eminence Cardinal Spidlik together with His Grace Mons. Joseph Mercieca, The
Apostolic Nuncio, the Cathedral Chapter and the Provincial of the Society of Jesus will
concelebrate High Mass. At the end of the celebration, the Maltese Association of the
Order of Malta will accompany the Statue of the Infant Jesus in solemn procession from
St John’s Co-Cathedral to the Church of our Lady of the Victories in Valletta, when the
deed of handover will be signed and this will be followed by Benediction.
The St John’s resident choir “Collegium Musicum” under the direction of Maestro Dr
Dion Buhagiar will participate.
The general public is cordially invited to attend.
During his stay in Malta, His Eminence will be officially meeting His Excellency the
President of Malta Dr Edward Fenech Adami, His Grace The Archbishop of Malta, Mons
J. Mercieca and celebrate two Masses, one on Tuesday 23rd October at 18.00 at the St
Paul’s Grotto in Rabat and on Wednesday 24th at 08.30 at the Sanctuary of Our Lady in
Mellieha.
On Tuesday 23rd at 19.30 hrs HE The President of Malta and Mrs. Fenech Adami
together with Cardinal Spidlik will attend a “Celebrity Concert” to be given by Czech
Soprano Marta Hanfova and Pianist Maestro Radomir Melmuka at Teatru Manoel.
Arias from Dvorak, Gomes, Tosti, Smetana, Chopin, Gounod, Puccini, Andrew Lloyd
Webber and last but not least a Maltese piece “Tfajla Samra tal-Wiedien” by Mahoney
will be performed
On Wednesday 24th October, Cardinal will also visit St Aloysius College in Birkirkara
and other Jesuit Institutions on the island before leaving Malta that same evening.
On the occasion of the Czech Cultural Week, this Consulate has instituted a fund in aid of
the Sisters of the Good Shepherd (Tal-Bon Pastur) in Ostrava, Czech Republic who run a
shelter home for distressed women and children, which is managed by a Maltese Nun
Sister Doris Saliba. These nuns are doing great missionary work in aid of these
unfortunate persons who find themselves homeless, the prisoners and Romas in Ostrava.
May I appeal to the heart of the Maltese to be generous in their donations? We have
already received donations from corporate business organizations and part of the funds
derived from the sale of tickets for the Films and the Concert will go towards this cause.
The activities of the Czech Cultural Week have also to be seen within the framework of
our active partnership with Teatru Manoel and also following the signing of the Cultural
and Education protocol between Malta and the Czech Republic signed in 2005.
This year a co-operation agreement has been signed between the Prague National Theatre
and Teatru Manoel paving the way to a great co-operation between these two national
institutions. In December 2005 the Prague National Theatre Ballet performed in Malta
and it is my pleasure to announce to-day that the Ballet will be again in Malta next
December for two performances on the Manoel stage. I also wish to announce that
through this co-operation the Prague National Theatre will be providing Teatru Manoel
with the free services of a consultant, who will evaluate the technical on-stage
requirements of our national theatre; and than present a report so that both theatres
together could secure EU funding to improve the technical facilities available at Teatru
Manoel. This project is most important, as it shows that this co-operation agreement is
not only merely related to cultural exchanges between the theatres but also in the
provision of Czech technical know-how, which for us in Malta is most essential.
I will now ask Chairman Kenely to expand further on these achievements.
Following Mr Kenely’s intervention, Mr. Chris Gatt will give details of the films being
shown and than Comm. Dr Cremona will end this Press Conference by giving his
reaction of the unique events happening during the Czech Week involving the Order of
Malta.
Thank You.