Giuseppe Mazzuoli, The Baptism of Christ
Posted on 02/02/2006 7:35:21 PM PST by LouAvul
VALLETTA (AFP) - Malta has chosen the figure of Christ for its euro coins, officials announced, after a vote which reflected the overwhelmingly Roman Catholic island's strong Christian heritage.
The voters in a telephone poll to decide the design chose "The Baptism of Christ," a scupture by late baroque artist Giuseppe Mazzuoli which stands in the capital's St John's Cathedral.
Some denominations of the euro will feature Malta's coat of arms and the Mediterranean island's prehistoric Mnajdra temple.
"Almost 17,000 people felt they should participate in the decision making process of choosing the face of our new currency," said finance minstry official Tonino Fenech after the results of the 10-day telephone poll was announced.
Malta's 400,000 population had been presented with a shortlist of images by a committee set up by the finance ministry.
"The Baptism of Christ" topped the poll with 3,498 votes, said Fenech.
Fenech said however that another popular choice not on the original shortlist, the eight-pointed Maltese Cross, may yet feature on coins.
Good for Malta!
Pingaroo
What do you want to bet that the design doesn't make it on to the coins?
The MCLU will not take this laying down!
And Jesus said to them, "Whose likeness and inscription is this?" They said, "Yours."
:)
My parish priest is from Malta. Matter of fact he was ordained by JPII himself.
Malta is a wonderful place to visit! I lived in Germany for a year of business travel and my company paid for my trips 'home' to the US. Each month I'd declare a new 'home' and travel at company expense (cheaper than running me back to the US, and better for me.) Malta was one of the nicest homes I ever picked. English is widely spoken, seafood is plentiful, the local wines are decent, the people are very friendly, the people are proud of their Catholicism, and the women are excruciatingly pretty and charming.
Witty. Quick, too.
I was about to say something about Caesar...
Very interesting. Thanks.
"Then render unto Me what is MINE!"
Me, too! :)
Is he any good? Some priests aren't, you know...
Let's see if the EU bureaucrats allow it.
I was thinking about it.
I applaud this action. If only France would embrace Christ again.
I don't think it will ever happen.
Sad, but true.
He is wonderful. Before he was at our parish the Tabernacle was not in back of the alter. He corrected that within days.
That's awesome
It would take a big hideous national tragedy, bigger than 9/11, to break their pride. That's human nature anywhere though, but France is haughty pride on steroids.
More power to Malta, on the very doorstep of Islam as they are.
It amazes me that a nation that was once one of the bulwarks of the faith has become one of the most faithless nations in Europe.
Giuseppe Mazzuoli, The Baptism of Christ
And sexually decadent as well.
"If only France would embrace Christ again."
If the French ever came to believe in something, they could be the greatest nation in Europe. But alas, they seem to believe in nothing, except keeping their government benefits coming.
Who cares?
What a country puts on their coins, or on their flags means nothing when compared to the faith they keep in their hearts.
Little known fact that the "cold war" was officially ended there in Malta in 1989. My brothers ship hosted George Bush 41 and Gorbachev, and myself on my ship were there.
I remember distincly as seas were EXTREMELY rough, and Bush and a few cabinet members were severly seasick.
If our Govt. ever had the cajones to put Christ on our currency, well, you know the ACLU would have a field day.
OH!
But it's okay to have obscure Americans that most present day Americans never even heard of. IE Susan B Anthony and Sacajawea.
It kills me when people stress "God bless America" when America has done everything it can to do away with any mention of God, or sat back and done NOTHING about it and fight back hard enough.
I think we should take all the money we give to those unruly Palestinians and send it to Malta
Yeah, me too. I think it's nice that people want to honor Christ, assuming that's their motive, but this just gives me an uneasy feeling. "In God We Trust" is one thing, while putting the image of Christ on a coin is a bit different.
I would be interested in the coins just for collecting them. Malta may have struck gold if they follow through, because there could be a large international interest in collecting coins from a country that doesn't hide its christian heritage.
But if Christ was on my money I would be lest inclined to spend in on unholy things or use it to gamble.
Malta - not to mention Vatican city - have been publishing Christian coins for decades, and they aren't in any particular demand. Your comment is simply wishful thinking:
I recall rough seas near Malta from my trip on a tourist boat:) I recall people getting sick. I also recall 2 dutch women I was talking to. At one point in our conversation, they oddly and simultaneously burst into singing
'What if God was one of us.'
Incidentally, the Irish 5 Punt (sp?) note used to have an image of a nun on it. Not the same as christ, but still a tribute to a part of their history.
That's what I thought too.........
They did put Christ on currency, Look at the 1914 $500 bill!
A 1914 $500 bill was before the ACLU was even a dream, and I don't believe $500 bills were used in broad circulation.
Quite a different thing to be on COMMON currency, in this case everyday pocket change.
Oh, I bet if they figured out it was stil in existence, they would sue to have it deemed not currency
God Bless Malta...time for a vacation there...
Gaurantee the hypocrites at the ACLU never turned away any payments/donations, whatever, of cash that said "in God we trust" on it.
Yeah, I can just see it now...old ladies kissing the image on Christ on the coin, doing the sign of the Cross...and then putting the coin into a slot machine and pulling the hammer. UGH.
So what do they export that I can buy?
I gotta say I haven't a clue!
My entire family is from Malta, I'm first generation American. I've been there a couple of times and it is absolutely awesome. I can't wait to get back there (maybe next year).
I wonder how one might go about getting such coins?
Bookmark Bump
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