Friends in High Places

(This article was written for publication in a sedqa in-house magazine more than 15 years ago)

Browsing the Net the other day, I stumbled across a curious fact.  Drug addiction, alcoholism and compulsive gambling all have at least one patron saint. In fact, there are at least seven saints who, according to traditional Catholic belief, are considered as special protectors to those afflicted with these conditions.

The patronage of Saints has been a Catholic tradition for many centuries.  Catholics have always believed that praying to Saints facilitated the journey of that supplication heavenwards, and increased the chances of it being granted. They often choose to invoke a Saint who is somehow associated (sometimes tenuously so) with whatever problem they happen to be contending with. The reasoning seems to be that a saint who has actually had personal earthly experience of whatever the individual was praying for is more likely to lend a sympathetic ear, and will therefore relay that particular request to the Lord with greater urgency. Such a saint can be counted upon to follow up the supplication more diligently than just any other saint.

While drug addicts and compulsive gamblers can rely on one particular patron saint each, alcoholics appear to be spoilt for choice. No less than five fully canonised individuals are regarded as special protectors of problem drinkers. However, on closer inspection, a couple would appear to have suspect credentials. St. Urban of Langres, for example, having once taken refuge in a vineyard when trying to elude his persecutors, is actually the patron saint of vintners, and (presumably) by association, of the whole Alcohol Industry.  We should think twice about invoking his aid in matters of alcohol policy. It would not do to take him into our confidence, disclose all our plans and strategies, asking for enlightenment and help...and then finding out he’s a secret sympathiser of the Alcohol Industry - if not its paid agent. 

St. Martin of Tours was the first non-martyr to have achieved official sainthood. He is considered to be the protector of various human activities and afflictions apart from alcoholism and reformed alcoholics. I have not been able to find out how his connection with alcohol came about, but since, like Saint Urban, the protection of vintners and wine-makers is included in his portfolio, we should perhaps seek the assistance of others, whose allegiance to our cause is less ambiguous.

Saint John of God, a remarkable man who actually spent some time in a lunatic asylum, and later devoted his energies to tending the poor and the sick, is also considered to be a special protector of alcoholics. It is not clear why, but it is known that prior to his conversion, he was quite a wild character, and may have actually like to indulge in the fruit of the grape. St. John of God is also the patron of mental illness: perhaps we should consider dedicating our Dual Diagnosis unit, if and when it ever about, to him. Also, when problems arise with the Psychiatric Services St. John could be an important ally. 

The list of protectors includes none other than St. Matthias, the man who replaced Judas Iscariot as an apostle, after the latter’s unfortunate accident with rope and tree. Again, why Saint Matthias who was stoned to death in 80 A.D., should become the protector of incontinent imbibers is not limpidly clear. However, a favourite theme in his preaching was the need for mortifying the body and resisting sensual urges, so perhaps there the connection lies. 

So far, not one of the ones listed so far can be said with certainty to have experienced problem drinking directly. But with Saint Monica, the mother of St. Augustine, the link with alcoholism is as clear as it can possibly get, for she was a reformed alcoholic herself. But, there are other aspects of her life which make her someone we could feel comfortable turning to in times of need. With dogged determination she pursued the task of converting her son for no less than seventeen years, until he achieved insight and changed. This is nothing if not inspirational to those, like us, whose work often involves the same sort of initially fruitless endeavours. 

The protector of compulsive gamblers is St. Bernardino of Siena, a Franciscan friar who went from town to Renaissance town preaching against malicious gossip and discord, often prevailing upon his listeners to forget their disputes and make up with their enemies. One of the evils he often railed against was gambling...which explains the subsequent popular devotion to him as patron of those who had this problem. 

Possibly the best known in the list to twenty-first century Christians is the protector of drug addicts, Saint Maximilian Kolbe. In Auschwitz Concentration Camp, he offered to take the place of a man condemned to die of starvation and managed to survive for 14 days, ministering to his nine other dying companions. The Nazis then finished him off with an injection of phenol - hence the connection with intravenous drug use. 

So, whenever, during our work, we feel in a spot tight enough to warrant celestial intervention, there is enough protection we can call upon. Even in this world of addiction work, where humanist values prevail, and where therapeutic approaches are as secularised as they can possibly be, the patronage of no less than seven saints is a precious resource we would perhaps do well to utilise. 

Of course, the above seven heaven-dwellers are deemed to be the protectors of our clients, rather than of those of us who toil to help them. In other words, there is no canonised lady or gentleman who has been assigned the specific duty of watching over you and me. It is a deficiency which, given the sometimes arduous tasks we have to carry out, should cause some concern. But rather than just worry, dear reader, you should realise that if you generally love God and neighbour, carry out your duties diligently and uncomplainingly, forgive all those who frustrate you, and suffer gladly even those colleagues who inflict upon you articles like this one, you could one day be declared the patron saint of addiction workers.

 

Għaliex Ġunju jiġi qabel Mejju...

Kull min iħobb il-futbol Taljan jaf li, fil-5 ta’ Mejju, inkitbet waħda mill-paġni tal-istorja li ma jintesewx. Il-futbol infittxuh u nsegwuh b’passjoni għal ħafna raġunijiet; waħda minnhom għax għal min hu dilettant sew għandu sett ta’ regoli, anke ta’ mġiba, differenti mill-bqija tal-ħajja. Normalment mhux sewwa li titgħajjar, tifraħ bid-deni tal-għadu (lanqas biss mhu suppost li jkollok għadu) u tibqa’ tfakkru fit-telfiet u l-umiljazzjonijiet waqt li inti togħxa.  Imma fil-futbol, anke għax għandu mit-teatru u t-teatrin, u anke mill-finzjoni tan-narrativa, ix-Schadenfreude (li tħossok sodisfatt bl-umiljazzjoni tar-rival) mhux biss huwa permess, imma talli huwa wieħed mill-aspetti li jiġbdu n-nies lejh u jsaħħaħ is-sens ta’ appartenenza ma’ team partikulari.

Kultant nistaqsi lili nnifsi: x’inhu l-aktar li jagħti pjaċir, il-kisba tar-rebħa jew li tkun taf li l-avversarji storiċi jew reċenti jinsabu imdejqin bil-kbir minħabba r-rebħa tat-tim “tiegħi’’? Il-Juventus rebħu (uffiċjalment) 36 scudetto, imma għaliex infakkru dak li ntrebaħ għoxrin  sena ilu u rari insemmu l-oħrajn? Proprju, naħseb, għax kienet rebħa sensazzjonali għal Juventus – imma aktar għax kien mument ta’ dwejjaq kbar, indannazzjoni, għal ‘’dawk’’. Ix-xbiha ta’ dakinhar li baqgħet stampata fil-memorja ta’ ħafna Juventini, mhix iċ-ċelebrazzjonijiet tar-rebħa mhux mistennija, imma ta’ Ronaldo jnewwaħ...

Imma diġa bdejt nintilef għax suppost qed nikteb fuq il-fatt li l-jum memorabbli tal-5 ta’ Mejju 2002 mhuwiex uniku fl-istorja tat-trijonfi Juventini. Kien hemm scudetto ieħor – minn dawk li niftakar jien - li ntrebaħ prorpju fl-aħħar partita meta t-tim kien punt taħt l-avversarji, li rnexxielhom jitilfu ma’ tim dgħajjef. U anke dik id-darba, l-avversarji miġruħa u umiljati inzertaw ‘’dawk’’.

Kont bdejt nżomm mal-Juventus ta’ ħames snin. Kollu t-tort ta’ ċertu Stephen, Alla jaħfirlu. Kien joqgħod fit-triq tagħna u kien xi tliet snin, erbgħa ikbar minni. Dak iż-żmien, il-futbol kien jinltagħab fit-toroq, għalkemm kull nofs siegħa jew tliet kwarti l-logħba kienet titwaqqaf biex tgħaddi xi karozza. Lili ma kinux iħalluni nilgħab magħhom għax kont żgħir wisq u kont inħares lejhom mill-għatba tal-bieb, imxennaq u noħlom li nikber ħalli nkun nista’ nilgħab jien ukoll. F’għajnejja Stephen il-ġar kien l-aħjar player u billi hu jien iżomm mal-Juventus bdejt inżomm magħhom ukoll. Iktar ma bdejt nikber, iktar bdejt ninteressa ruħi, naqra l-gazzetti u nisma’ l-isport fuq ir-Rediffusion (Carmelo Costa, Louis Portelli)  - u nixrob kull kelma li nisma’ fuqhom.

Il-Ħamis l-1 ta’ Ġunju 1967: kelli ħdax-il sena u kont wasalt biex nispiċċa l-ewwel sena tal-Liċeo. Bħal dejjem, kull filgħaxija kont mistenni mmur nisma’ l-quddiesa, imma bħalma kien ili nagħmel xhur minn mindu tfarfart, kont nidħol il-Knisja ħalli nara min qaddes u x’kulur kien liebes – fil-każ li l-ġenituri jiddeċiedu li jagħmluli interrogazzjoni – u l-ħin ngħaddih nilgħab jew inpaċpaċ fuq iz-zuntier. Dakinhar moħħi ma tantx kien fil-logħob ma’ sħabi, imma fuq x’kien qed jiġri fil-grawnds tal-futbol tas-Serie A. L-aħħar ġurnata kienet qiegħda tintlagħab proprju waqt il-ħin tal-quddiesa. "Dawk'' kienu t-tim li ddomina l-futbol Taljan f’nofs is-snin sittin – u kellhom players mill-aqwa: Facchetti, Jair, Mazzola, Suarez. Il-Juventus kien ilhom ma jirbħu l-iscudetto sitt snin u t-tim kien meqjus bħala wieħed mhux ta’ klassi, partikolarment fuq quddiem.

Il-Juventus, punt wara l-Inter, kien imisshom home ma’ Lazio li kienu ‘l isfel ħafna fil-klassifika. Ir-rivali kellhom jilqgħu lil Mantova f’San Siro – logħba li kulħadd stenna li kienu se jiddominaw u jirbħu mingħajr diffikultà. Mela, ma nistax ngħid li kelli qalbi qawwija; anzi, tista’ tgħid kont kważi rassenjat li ‘’dawk’’ kienu se jirbħu r-raba’ scudetto fi żmien ħames snin waqt li l-Juventus, għas-sitt sena infila kienu se jibqgħu b’xiber imnieħer. Imma, sakemm nisma’ r-riżultat, xrara ta’ tama x’imkien fl-irkejjen ta’ moħħi kien hemm.

Ħin minnhom jitfaċċa fuq iz-zuntier Ġanni s-Sagristan u qal lill-grupp ta’ tfal u ħabbrilna "l-Inter 1-0 minn taħt u l-Juventus qed jirbħu 1-0’’. Għal sekonda jew tnejn qalbi waqfet. Ħarist lejn l-oħrajn, imma ħadd ma kien interessat wisq. M’għidt xejn imma irreaġixxejt istintivament. Ġrejt ġol-knisja, u dħalt f’nofs il-quddiesa, noffri li baqa’ minnha għall-bżonnijiet tal-Bianconeri...

Kif spiċċat lebbitt b’kemm Alla tani saħħa lejn id-dar. Wara ftit, fuq it-televixin Schaub-Lorenz abjad u iswed – missieri kien għamel ix-xhur jagħmel is-sahra biex stajna nixtruh – tħabbar ir-riżultat: il-Juventus rebħu 2-1 u l-Inter tilfu 1-0. Għall-Juventus kienu żewġ daqqiet ta’ ras (Bercellino, Zigoni) li tawhom iż-żewġ punti.

L-Inter għamlu partita jattakkaw, imma ma skurjawx. Il-Mantova rari qabżu nofs il-grawnd, imma fil-bidu tat-tieni taqsima Di Giacomo (ex-Inter!) ikkrossja minn fuq ix-xellug. Il-goalkeeper tal-Inter Sarti deher se jinterċetta mingħajr diffikultà, imma b’għaġeb ta’ kulħadd, il-ballun spiċċa fix-xibka. Il-filmat tal-logħba li rajna fuq it-TV diversi drabi fix-xhur ta’ wara illum ħadd ma jaf x’sar minnu sewwa. Aktarx li nqered fi ħruq fil-bini tar-Rai, flimkien ma diversi filmati prezzjużi oħra (fosthom tal-festival ta’ San Remo tal-1967).

Kien it-tlettax-il scudetto għal Juve, l-uniku wieħed li rbaħna taħt Heriberto Herrera, il-kowċ Paragwajan, meqjus bħala ''sergente di ferro’’, li mexxa lit-tim bejn l-1964 u l-1969. Hawn min iqisu bħala wieħed mill-prekursuri tal-logħba moderna: il-kelma li kontinwament kien jindirizza lejn il-players wat it-taħriġ u waqt il-logħob kienet “movimiento’’. Kellu jkun hemm perjodu xott ta’ 5 snin qabel ir-rebħ ta’ trofew ieħor.

Sarti – le, ma kienx jiġi n-nannu ta’ Radu – li kellu rekord impekkabbli, aqta’ dak l-iżball madornali li rregalalna l-Iscudetto, wara sena mar ma’ Juve bħala r-riżerva ta’ Anzolin. Ħalla din id-dinja xi ħames snin ilu.

Għall-Inter kien staġun diżastruż. Ġimgħa qabel it-telf tal-iscudetto kważi mirbuħ kienu tilfu l-final taċ-Champions’ Cup kontra Celtic. Ftit ġranet wara nqalgħu wkoll mill-Coppa Italia. Kien staġun ta’ ‘’zeru tituli’’, imma, agħar minn hekk, kien jidher ċar li kien wasal tmiem l-epoka tad-deheb tagħhom li fiha kienu qalgħu t-timbru ta’ ‘’grande Inter’’.

U dak it-tifel ta’ ħdax-il sena li fl-ewwel ta’ Ġunju offra nofs quddiesa għall-bżonnijiet tat-tim favorit - li, imbagħad, rebaħ il-league - għadu supporter tal-Juventus sal-lum. Minn dakinhar, it-tim rebaħ ruxxmata trofej, imma niddubita jekk qattx ħassejtni daqshekk eċċitat u kburi daqs dakinhar meta ħadna dak l-iscudetto minn ħalq ir-rivali storiċi.