Church cancels Zabbar feast external activities

The Church has decided that the external activities connected to the feast of Our Lady of Graces in Zabbar will not be held this year.

These include club activities that can disturb the outside environment, street decorations and fireworks, the Curia said.

The decision was taken on the advice of the board that investigates charges of breach of regulations governing the celebration of external feasts and of competent persons and entities that had information on the incidents that occurred at the Zabbar feast last year. Fighting and the use of bad language by some people taking part in the celebrations had marred last year's feast in Zabbar.

The liturgical celebrations would carry on as usual as would the pilgrimage of bicycles and motorbikes and the procession with the statue of Our Lady of Graces would take on the form of a pilgrimage, the Curia said.

If any person or entity applied for a permit from the civil authorities to hold an activity during the feast period, all celebrations and pilgrimages would be cancelled, the Curia warned.

It said that in a year's time, both band clubs would have to reach an agreement regarding their role in the feast of Our Lady of Graces in the light of the Curia's regulations on the celebration of external feasts.

The agreement would have to be approved by the ecclesiastical authorities and the Church said it would be offering its assistance to reach a fair one that would create the required Christian environment.