Three cheers to the Archbishop of Malta who has not drawn back from tackling a very, very hot potato: the village feasts. Let us be clear from the very first: he has inherited this problem from the inertia of his predecessor.

When I was Minister Provincial in 1993, my administration set up a set of rules for regulating the feasts which are celebrated in our churches in Malta and Gozo, the feast of St. Joseph in Rabat, that of Our Lady or Sacro Cuor in Sliema, and the last one of St. Anthony of Padua in Gozo. The then Archbishop not only did not collaborate, but put an end to the process by insisting that only the Archbishop has the right to set up rules for feasts. That was sixteen years ago, when the problem was smaller but very evident. In the meantime, things got worse and worse, and now the present Archbishop has got to shoulder the backlog. That is what happens when leaders do not want to stink.

All I can say is that the Archbishop needs the support of all Maltese Christians who really understand what religious feasts are all about. It is not true that all Maltese are fanatics, but it is the fanatics who make their voices heard. And they are vociferous.

One of the slogans of today is that feasts are a part of our “Maltese culture”, and should therefore be protected. By which they do not mean the religious aspect of the village feasts which is truly part of the Maltese culture. What they mean is commerce, tourist attractions, marching bands, pyrotechnics and whatnot. The Maltese feast has in fact lost its religious nature and become mostly a tourist attraction, and in this the civil authorities have given more than a helping hand.

So, dear Archbishop, you are up against overwhelming odds. I, in fact, did have and still have a simple yet effective solution to this conundrum. I say it is simple, but also radical.  We have to separate the religious sphere from the civil.  The religious feast should be in the church, with the centre-piece being the Solemn High Mass.  The so-called procession in the evening should be abandoned.  In many places this has become an anachronism.  There is nothing religious remaining in it.  The statue of Our Lady or of the various saints should be entrusted to a group of laymen who will be charged with taking it out of the church and bringing it back safely.  No clergy should take part in this march-past.  Let the civil authorities control this manifestation according to the laws of the country.  When the “brijju” is over the statue will be returned back to the church.  Amen.

And now two pieces of advice if I may: beware the clergy.  Sometimes or most of the time they are working behind the scenes to stir up the lay people.  Be prepared to be stern with them.  Impose your authority.  And finally you have to take a more diplomatic stance in this difficult situation.  I know you prefer to face the flock head-on, but in this you have to learn from the politicians.  When they have a hot potato on their hands, they use a spokesperson.  Do not expose yourself at all.  Let your spokesperson do all the talking.  When the time is ripe you can come out with full force and authority to enforce your guidelines.