Claudia Calleja
Church draws the line on unruly band marches
Church calls for progress on fireworks regulations
Photo: Chris Sant Fournier
The Church has proposed giving village festa enthusiasts three years to control outrageous behaviour during morning band marches otherwise it will strike the popular event off the list of celebrations.
Morning band marches have long been a source of concern for the Church, as well as the police, as they have been reduced to a drunken spectacle often leading to violence between opposing band clubs. The Church is putting the ball in the court of those who cherish this form of street celebration through a proposal made in a consultation document launched yesterday.
"Between 2010 and 2012 we will allow time for all those involved to control exaggeration, including the manner of dress, the songs and words that are chanted, the consumption of alcohol and the duration of the marches," the document reads.
"If, after these three years, we find that the band marches cannot be controlled or reformed, the Church has to decide to no longer consider them an integral part of the feast."
The document - which will be open for public consultation until November 30 - lists a range of proposals on the celebration of village feasts with the aim of restoring the religious and community aspects of the celebrations.
"The mission of the Church is to deliver the beauty of God's word. And that's what the role of feasts should be. There is a lot of tradition in our feasts, which is beautiful. However, through the years, we have forgotten they are there to celebrate a saint," Archbishop Paul Cremona said.
Mgr Anton Gouder, the Curia's general pro-vicar, stressed the consultative nature of the document adding that, so far, nothing was set in stone.
This will appease the many festa enthusiasts who may have feared the Church would immediately opt to remove morning band marches, the main source of trouble.
In an attempt to address other troubling habits, the Church proposed that the lyrics of songs chanted during the march should be scripted and approved to ensure they were not aimed at insulting others or instigating fights.
The document also proposes all feasts be celebrated over eight days during which there should be no outdoor activities within the limits of the parish, except for those organised by the Church authorities.
Decorations popularly known as sorpriżi (surprises) should be banned as they have only served to instil rivalry. Only flags and balloons should be used during band marches and no water may be thrown, the document recommends.
Morning band marches should not be longer than four hours and should not pass in front of rival clubs. Where this was unavoidable the march may pass without stopping, for whatever reason.
No band marches may take place while Church celebrations are in progress.
Those responsible for the band marches should ensure no one was bare-chested.
Statues should, as a rule, not be carried during band marches, except where this was a tradition and the parish priest approves.
Turning to fireworks, the document says there should be prudence and the law must be followed in all its aspects.
"It is the common view that there should be progress on the (fireworks) regulations.
"The Church authorities, as the organisers of the religious feasts, are prepared to cooperate with the civil authorities for this purpose," the document says.
The full document can be viewed on maltadiocese.org.
Comments may be mailed on festi@maltadiocese.org or to the Curia at PO Box 29, Valletta.
Additional proposals
• During the celebrations inside the Church, emphasis must be placed on encouraging the participation of the congregation.
• The statue remains a symbol of the saint who is being revered and not adored in a pagan-like manner.
• Church decorations and damask must be controlled to ensure they are not used to generate pique between rival band clubs.
• An inventory of feast decorations ought to be drawn up in each parish. Up to 2012 no further decorations should be added except where they have already been ordered or have to be replaced. No further additions will be allowed from 2013.
• Processions should take no longer than three hours, ending by 10.30 p.m.
• During processions statues should not be turned to face any buildings other than the Church and particular residences such as old people's homes and monasteries.
• The statue must be returned to the niche privately and not later than two days after the feast day.
• The pealing of bells has to be done in moderation with no bells ringing between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m. and between 1 and 4 p.m.
• Each parish can celebrate up to two special anniversaries: one to mark the day it was set up and another occasion of choice. Anniversaries are to be marked every 25 years for the first 100 years, after which the celebrations should take place every 50 years.
• A board will be set up to investigate any breach of the proposed regulations.
Popular Stories
Update 3: Woman found dead in car,...
Updated: Woman dies in car crash
Carm Mifsud Bonnici resigns after...
Part of Dwejra 'Azure window' collapses
The end of the bar that ‘never closed’
Bundy does not know whether to...
Updated - Jason Micallef demands...
This WAS the night - Kurt makes it...
Petrol price up 6c
In Discussion
Updated - Jason Micallef demands...
Gozo tunnel could take 5-7 years to...
CABS remote controlled aircraft shot...
Carm Mifsud Bonnici resigns after...
Joseph Calleja condemns portrayal of...
Updated: Labour would give...
CABS drone shot down
Second group of migrants arrives
Adrian Vassallo in scathing...
27 Comments
Post comment
Please sign in or create your Account to post comments.
Julian Mompalao de Piro
Oct 7th 2009, 09:48
MUCH too lenient on fireworks. Why? Scared like the politicians?
D Delia
Oct 7th 2009, 08:08
Dear Marlene Pullicino
The festa belongs to the church and not to the streets or civil society. Its starts from there and should ends there. The festa is held in the name of the saint.
And please do not bring up the commercial aspect which is held in the name of the saint. When Christ found those traders in the temple doing business in the name of God, he got angry, flogged them and threw them out of the temple. We would not like to be like them do we? If any one wants to organise a business activity they should organise a lejla Maltija or similar.
Luke Busuttil
Oct 7th 2009, 00:09
Arana l- Mostin fir- ritratt !
Proset lit- times talli ghazlu ritratt taghna... Bla dubju l- Mosta ... huwa ezempju kif ghanda issir festa ! kollox bil moderazzjoni minghajr pika zejda u glied u b HAFNA devozzojoni.
Kiku kulhadd jahsara jsegwi l ezempju tal- festa Mostija ma kienx ikolna bzonn dan id- dokument.
U nerga nghid Proset tar- ritratt li ghazlet it- times.
Viva Santa Marija Mosta.
C.Caruana (323)
Oct 6th 2009, 21:16
The church has and will always continue to work for the good of mankind! Courageous decision from the part of the church.
marlene pullicino
Oct 6th 2009, 21:15
The church should have no jurisdiction over what happens in the streets outside its doors. While I condemn excesses of all kinds,it is up to civil society and the government it elects to enforce discipline in street parties and band marches during village feasts and anywhere else for that matter. Apart from being religious celebrations,our traditional feasts are a celebration of community spirit, identity,artisanship,local musical talent and convergence of incessant volontary work that is continuous during the year but finds its culmination during festa week. Many local craftsmen , painters,sculptors,gilders,mechanical engineers make a living off the zeal of enthusiasts who seek to make their local feast more outstanding every year by creating their innovative surprise. Why does the church seek to use the excuse of excessive rivalry to curb the external growth of feasts? The natural evolution of maltese festa has witnessed the social aspect grow visibly in recent years as people become more affluent ,and more youths from all walks of life join the local band societies to find some sort of identity and belonging while contributing voluntary work within their community.The growth of the external manifestations has in no way undermined the religious significance of the feasts.
Dr Katia Vella
Oct 6th 2009, 21:02
@Mark Borg
I am a young adult leading a very busy professional life in a so called by yourself "modernised Western European nation". Notwithstanding I still attend church every Sunday not out of obligation, not out of fear, not out of tradition but because in the Lord I have found my friend, my guide, my help. I know that without His help I wouldn't have been able to achieve what I have in my life, the most precious of which is peace and freedom. May you yourself experience Him one day. I guarantee you shall never look back !
Dr Sandro Vella
Oct 6th 2009, 20:34
I fail to understand why:
1) Bell ringing (in Maltese called the 'mota' ) has been restricted to half an hour, such that each 'mota' cannot last more than 15 minutes. This will eliminate a long standing bell ringing tradition in this country, namely the ringing of 4 'moti' of 15-30 minutes at set times between noon on the eve of the feast and the end of the feast day proper. It also eliminates the tradition of uninterrupted bell ringing during the procession, signifying the liturgical event occurring in the parish.
2) Why do we have to pick on the hobby of so many talented individuals, who painstakingly adorn our streets and village core with artistic statues and decorations? The Universal Church encourages the arts and the honest recreation of its faithful, and indeed of all citizens!
While agreeing that controls are necessary, frank and honest discussion with all parties involved is paramount if we are to save these annual events, which no matter what unappreciative people say, are an important social and religeous event for many communities.
Interestingly, the Maltese Church did not guarantee that it willl not continue to trim down liturgical events connected with the Maltese festa!
C. Farrugia
Oct 6th 2009, 20:18
id-dokument jibbaza fuq il-premessa li l-festa ta' barra hi taht l-awtorita' ekklezjatika. Din kienet it-teorija wara r-riformi tal-1935 li gabu gwaj kbir. Kellek il-Qrendi fejn damu 40 sena bi fratellanza sopressa - u minn flok kienu jghamlu l-festa Nazzjonali fit-8 ta' Settembru. L-energija u l-impenn jibqa hemm, pero jekk tgerrxu mill-festa religjuza jmur banda ohra. Bl-istess mod, jekk ma thallix li jsir armar, il-flus mhux ser jidhlu fil-knisja biex itaffi d-deficit li certu festi nterni qed ihallu. Anzi ser imorru band' ohra. Il-premessa li l-festa ta' barra taqa taht l-awtoritajiet ekklezjastici giet eredikata fl-1974. Illum hu dubjuz hafna kemm premessa bhal dik hi legali u kemm tkun tista toqghod ghal-test legali fil-qrati kostituzzjonali Maltin u dawk ewropej. Is-soluzzjoni x' inhi:
edukazzjoni
tindifa minn casettes ta' nies li saru sinjuri bil-kliem infami ma certu marci
hidma id fid mal-kazini
rispett lejn id-diversita ta' festi differenti f' irhula differenti
incentivi ghal l-aktar festa 'environmental friendly' u 'friendly ghal persuni bi bzonnijiet specjali'
L-impozizzjoni iggib biss ribelljoni - u jkun hasra li l-knisja maltija titlef eluf ta' nies ghaliex tithabat fuq settur li hu dmir il-puluzija li thares - min jinza u jitkellem hazin diga qed jikser il-ligi - ghaliex twaqqaf festa ghalhekk.
mario bezzina
Oct 6th 2009, 20:16
dear Church, just stop wasting time and get it over with. inform these bands that they have to
respect the church at all time and it should start immediately. as from now
no alcohol, no half dressed people, no swearing, no white blasted petards, and let us enjoy
a proper religious feast as it should be. infact, dear Church, strip of all your gold and silver
and help people in need and that is the best feast that every town should have. simple as can be.
K Camilleri
Oct 6th 2009, 20:15
@ Mark Borg
I have no doubt that you do not go to church since you do not know who goes to church. Yes there are youths at church! You'll find 70% of the youths in church at least for the sunday mass.
You are not modernising yourself by not going to church or by not beleiving! What this world has to give is not something that makes you happy! Does money make you happy? Does the career make you happy? Does SIN make you happy? They just make you more damned and more needy of damnation. That is why there is so much anger and frustration nowadays because there is no God in people's life!
Do you like Gixta? of course not, most probably you never tasted it! How can you say what God can give you if you never experienced him. (btw - gixta is a fruit that grows in Sudan and resembles a hand grenade). Hope you got my point.
r pace bonello
Oct 6th 2009, 19:53
Not bold enough. Feasts should be strictly religious and the Church must disassociate itself, completely, from pagan band marches and warlike explosions.
Mark Cushcieri
Oct 6th 2009, 19:41
@James De Giorgio
well i am part of the other half then...Also i dont believe that half the population goes to church...the majority are senior people who are worried at the end of their life and start going to church to 'save their soul'. The days when Malta was the most people who went to church is over. We are modernizing like other european western nations and have no time for church. From the younger generation you wont find more than 5% i bet you in church.
silvio cordina
Oct 6th 2009, 18:23
"The mission of the Church is to deliver the beauty of God's word." -
God also advocates love and kindness towards one's neighbour. Why little or nothing at all againt the letting off of monstrous petards, just "Prudence and observance of the law" , when everyone knows that the law is practically non-existant when it comes to noise control? Has the Church no compassion for the aged, the sick and babies (not to mention animals) who are jolted out of their bed at 8am, and then again until late at night. It's a situation of I'm all right, I don't care about anyone else. How's that for God's word! The Church should act as it preaches, and not only when it suits her. After all one can select whether to attend marches or not, but no such choice exists when it comes to petards.
James De Giorgio
Oct 6th 2009, 17:42
Well done church! mark borg came out in all out senseless attack. He would have probably done the same if you had agreed with the band marches the way they are. Mark borg said nobody cares about the church anymore. I wish I knew which part the land he is living in. Half the island still goes to church on sundays mark.
Control the feasts! They are religious feasts after all.
michael fenech
Oct 6th 2009, 16:41
I don’t know why all of a sadden we’re picking on the outdoor feasts and the morning band marches, I agree 100 % that they are out of control, but lets fact it if we take a good look at things the hole COUNTRY is out of control.
The reason I say that because if you go to P/Ville you see kids drinking in the streets,the police are right there, at football matches the fowl language makes you sick,again the police are there, the way we drive and no police to be found, the way we mass up our beaches after BBQ’s, the way we mass up the hole country, I can keep going on and on. Unless the authorities do something and do it fast we’re going to leave our children with one massed up COUNTRY. SHAME.
Mario Micallef
Oct 6th 2009, 14:28
@ D Vella....are you sure its the vast majority...you know what the word assuming means?!?!?
k Camilleri
Oct 6th 2009, 14:23
@ Marius Cremona
What a sad comment!
Not all marches are a disgrace. Come to Rabat! We have 2 main feasts and every feast has its own band club and every feast comes out from a different church. We do make joke of each others, however all is done without any excess!
You never see people with painted faces, almost topless girls, or flying beer bottles. Everything is done with respect. And I never remember any fireworks fired after 11pm!
If paganism happens in some feasts, than it has to be controlled, but we cannot generalise. However, now I expect band clubs to put their hands in this and start working otherwise they will be a victim of their own success.
Vince Caruana Gauci
Oct 6th 2009, 13:58
And may I ask, who will moderate the moderator? Especially when the moderator ia unable to control matters that are strictly ecclesiatical let alone moderate band clubs on which the church has no jurisdiction.
if the Church wishes to moderate the feasts, let her first tackles the matters that are purely under her control like the pagan auction which occurs in Mgarr for those taking part in the religious procession.
It was the church in the first place that created titular and secondary feasts in order to obtain more power and receive more donations, clearly this lucrative business has dried up and now it has turned to stop that which was started by the church in the first place. This is an insult to the Maltese peoples' intelligence and an open attack on such an integral part of our cultural heritage.
Stefan Sacco
Oct 6th 2009, 13:43
Congratulations....and well done. It was about time that something had to be done. I am also convinced now that even the Mgarr "TRADITION" will not be held anymore...dik misthija ohra li thallas biex terfa il Madonna. I would only accept it if money goes towards Puttinu cares or Dar tal providenza!!
Chris Grech
Oct 6th 2009, 13:36
il-marc ta filghodu taghna dan...
nafu niehdu gost bla ma ndejqu lil haddiehor...
grazzi lil kull min jiehu hsieb, specjalment lis-sezzjoni zghazagh kif ukoll lil banda santa marija u lil kamra tan nar santa marija... tal-mosta!!!
grazzi mill gdid
rigward id-dokument, hemm fej naqblu u fejn ma naqblux imma jien nisab cert li ser isibu triq tan nofs!!
Joanne Micallef
Oct 6th 2009, 12:25
I applaud this bold move , as it well known that in certain localities, behaviour wise, these morning band marches resemble more a rave party rather than a religious celebration.
Marius Cremona
Oct 6th 2009, 12:00
While at it...just ban all the outdoor feasts
DVella
Oct 6th 2009, 11:43
TOO LITTLE . . . . TOO LATE . . . and a pathetic (veiled) attempt at avoiding the issue of fireworks and petards ! ! ! The church is becoming like the political parties . . . . too frightened to confront people with controversial issues . . . even if they are just a small (albeit fanatical and totally irrational) minority!! Why can't they listen to what the majority of the people want or at least, act in the common interest???
Mr B J Simmons
Oct 6th 2009, 11:40
I must agree with these comments. Although my experience is mainly at the February Carnival, I find it sad that almost every float is loaded with bottles or cans of beer and suchlike. There is no attempt to hide this activity.
It seems such a shame that such an event should be taken over by those who cannot exist without alcohol. These events are steeped in Maltese tradition and are a draw for tourists and Maltese alike.
Surely there would be little difficulty in making drinking in the street illegal on such occasions. This would bring an even more joyful atmosphere to such wonderful occasions. It is a shame that this issue seems to be on the increase, perhaps the bands and floats should bring in their own ban for particpants before it gets out of hand, if the law can't act in time.
Mark Cushcieri
Oct 6th 2009, 11:19
The Church has proposed giving village festa enthusiasts three years to control outrageous behaviour during morning band marches otherwise it will strike the popular event off the list of celebrations. who does the church people think they are...nobody cares about your church anymore and this is not the inquisition times where you rule the people..the church has no power and no one will hear a word you say. Strike the feasts off..just keep your statues and we will raise other statues instead..like La Vallette...we dont need your godly images...we know what the church stands for and luckily the church has lost its power otherwise we would be back in the inquisition ages.
claire farrugia
Oct 6th 2009, 11:04
in my opinion now it is too late for the church to change anything, it has allowed these feasts which are a perfect example of paganism at its best for years and years, why should it change anything now? after all the feasts are a mirror of Maltese society and they should be left as they are, the church has allowed all sorts of things to happen, has not spoken about a lot of things, why speak now? Unfortunately, in Malta the only religion is the catholic one, there is no protestantism and no sort of competition for the catholics, as there is in other places in europe, this led to a dominant church attitude which is now being reflected in all sorts of things happening in the name of the church...
R.Zammit
Oct 6th 2009, 10:51
Three cheers for the ecclesiastic authorities to take some action to prevent our festas turning pagan.
However i expected much more on fireworks than just simply encouraging observance of the law, and subtly hinting that the law needs to be updated.
Rather than bandlori, fireworks one of the main competitive issues between rival band clubs and villages. Not the coloured fireworks, but the petards. These are a real menace to modern society. They are also a prime item that is dividing a wedge between modern society and the church for their inaction.
I expected the authorities to only allow fireworks the day the statue is brought out of its niche, and then in limited doses only on the festa weekend. Period.