Inspirational Forbear.

On the 29^th.of August 2018 it will be the seventieth anniversary of the death of my grandfather, Carmelo Mifsud Bonnici, known as il-Gross. After seventy years what remains of his legacy in thought, in principle and example?

What strikes me most  and stands out, from what he wrote, what he said, as recorded primarily in the ‘Debates of the Malta Legislative Assembly, and what other people wrote and said about him was his authenticity. He said what he meant, he believed in what he said. He was loyal to his beliefs, loyal to his Faith and his Church. When elected to serve the public interest, he served the public interest not his own interests. His patriotism was loyalty towards his country and people.

He was a Maltese Patriot: he held dear the Maltese people, collectively as well as individually; the Maltese traditions, the Maltese Language, as well as the history of Malta. In his profession he was loyal to his clients, as a university professor he was loyal to his students, he was, above all, loyal in his married life. People trusted him and his word. He was never ‘fake’: even in caricature, his truth was evident.

Secondly, what I note is the breadth, indeed eclectic, nature, of his cultural interests: he was not only well read in Italian and English, but also read widely the literature in other languages, even if in translation. So he spoke and wrote, not only about Dante, Manzoni, Carducci, D’Annunzio;  and Byron, Scott, Coleridge, Thackeray, George Bernard Shaw, but also about Goethe and Tolstoy. He was interested in the history of Art and of Music. Of course he also studied history, political science and the humanities, besides his beloved discipline, Law. He was also interested in Natural History and especially the studies by the Maltese Naturalists, Giuseppe Despott,  Alfredo Caruana Gatto, Sir Temi Zammit, and John Borg.

My grandfather’s political ideology, was broadly that of the Christian Democrats: he saw every man and women as unique, without any bias or prejudice of class, nationality, religious persuasion. He was however interested in what the State could do for the less privileged. Among his achievements one should mention , when Minister for the Treasury, his fulfilled program for the building by Government of  ‘Workmen’s Dwellings’ in Birkirkara, Hamrun,  Blata il-Bajda, Cospicua and Paola. Almost all these blocks of houses are still in existence. They withstood the test of time. People still live in them. This was one of the first such schemes in the Europe of the twenties, immediately following the one set by the Christian Social Party in Vienna.

Also of note is his bold introduction of the Widows and Orphans contributory Pension Scheme for Government employee.  In the very brief periods (1926-27) and (1932-33) in which he was the Minister for the Treasury and the Police, besides looking at the ‘technical’ art of Government ( as his piloting of the very first Maltese Treasury and Audit Act)  he also tried and managed to introduce ‘humanity’ in the style of government.

Indeed my grandfather excelled in his attitude of ‘friendship towards all’. He held no anger or bitterness towards his political adversaries. Although he was and has remained the only member of Parliament to be sent to Prison for breach of privilege, he held no grudge against those who moved the resolution and who voted for it.

He was also a poet writing in both Maltese, his own language and Italian, the language of his culture. His academic contributions to the history of our law are also notable. He was also endowed with a beautiful baritone voice, which he used to eloquently, and persuasively address the crowds, in mass meetings, often without a microphone, to convince panels of jurymen, in the Criminal Courts and his fellow members of Parliament in the Legislative Assembly.  In Opposition his criticism of the Government was fair but became severe  when exposing arrogance or highhandedness. When in Government his defence was as convincing as it was logical and sound.

His goodness of heart, at times eclipsed his talent and intellectual gifts. His brilliant oratory at times might have led people to forget his essential humility and attachment to principle.

In politics as in most things in life, there are constants and variants. The constants are mainly in the ethical values. I seek to keep in mind the examples in the ethical values he always strongly upheld.