Parish priest behind removal of Kalkara trees on church grounds

The Kalkara parish priest had requested the uprooting of trees and shrubs on church grounds, the Archdiocese of Malta said, a week after the cleric first denied having any information on the matter. Kalkara residents woke up to find a number of trees and a small garden on the St Joseph church grounds to be completely destroyed and removed last month. The garden included shrubs, trees, a pond and a statue, which have all been removed. When first contacted, the parish priest, Fr Brian Gialanzè said he had no information of when the trees were removed and if they will be replaced. He said the trees were removed as part of a project conducted by Infrastructure Malta, yet, the entity later denied being involved in any works on the church grounds. The Archbishop’s Curia, Infrastructure Malta and the local council all claimed to have not known who ordered the removal of the trees and garden. Speaking on condition of anonymity, one Kalkara resident said he watched as over 20 trees were chopped down and uprooted.  However a spokesperson for the Curia said one mature ficus tree – an invasive species which was causing structural damage to the pavement – was removed along with two other...