Nadur carnival "nuns" did not vilify religion

M Vella

Oct 25th 2009, 15:11

What a sad excuse for a country. All in a week, first the mannequins, then the cemetery hullabullalloo, now fake nuns???!!! Ghandna l-wicc nitkazaw b'haddiehor imbaghad. Well done to the Chief Justice, at least he made symbols case law and we know what to wear!

john muscat

Oct 25th 2009, 09:36

What a waste of precious time to the Courts. I suggest that after all this ado about nothing, I suggest that the police thoroughly investigate the torture of children at St. Joseph's Institute in Gozo. The bishop asked for forgiveness regarding the issue so he admitted that this really happened. Is dressing as a priest or as a nun more offensive to the bishop of Gozo than torturing a child under the custody of the church? Shame.

Joanna Farrugia

Oct 25th 2009, 09:05

What a farce! And talk about discrimination! "Nuns... were not ministers of the Catholic religion because according to Canon law, ministers of the church were priests or deacons." Wow! I was always under the impression that nuns are considered by the Catholic Church to be inferior to the clergy and this confirms it! With regards to vilifying the Catholic religion I think some priests are more guilty of such an accusation with their behaviour.

David Muscat

Oct 24th 2009, 17:21

It is just dispicable that these six youths had to be put through this ordeal because the bishop of Gozo's comments this year. I have been seeing 'clergy' every year at nadur for at least 15 years now.

This has been a classic waste of public funds for a senseless prosecution that had the cheek to include an appeal by the AG.

What would be interesting for the public to know is whether the AG was instructed (let me be a bit nicer...advised) to appeal the case or whether he did that on his own accord.

At least the court justice and interpretation of the law were correct in both cases.

As for the bishop who instigated all this nonsense, as pointed out below....in your face!!

Joe Fenech

Oct 24th 2009, 17:12

BAD TASTE IS NOT A CRIME (I said it months ago!!!!) !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Jason Fenech

Oct 24th 2009, 16:04

Good. So now we know that - thanks Mr. Taxpayer - one cannot dress as a priest or Christ. It seems however that one may dress up as a nun and for that we should probably thank the church for its flagrant discrimination against women. Don't ever chain nude mannequins on display because sex is still the devil's tool of choice. Xarabank, take notice. Yet, cases of child molestation are quickly forgotten or never see the light of day whenever clergy is involved. Glamour photo shoots on "consecrated ground" are taboo yet no one raises a brow when thousands are paid to secure a good burial spot.

I understand that there's a limit to everything but lately it seems that this country is slowly becoming Taliban land. What's next, convert everyone to Islam and instate Sharia Law? Why not bring over an Ayatollah instead of the pope? It sounds more sensible to me.

State - Church separation coupled with the respective changes in legislation. That’s what the next referendum should be about. Politicians wake up and take heed; there are plenty of votes at stake. I, like many, will be voting for any party willing to seriously tackle this issue.

J Galea

Oct 24th 2009, 15:13

Liberal society?! What a waste of court time, i.e., taxpayers money! Honestly, hasn't the Chief Justice anything better else to do? Who gave leave to appeal in this case? Magistrate Edwina Grima's comments should have been the end of this case but the real question is in regard to bringing such a prosecution in the first place? What on earth were our authorities thinking?

Ivan Attard

Oct 24th 2009, 15:06

...and the Gozo Bishop who was the driving force in apprehending these youths ended up with egg on his face again! What a charade when you think about it all!

Lisa Schembri

Oct 24th 2009, 13:55

OH I see, its all clear now!!!! Its apparently NOT OK for a bunch of guys to wear nun outfits but its OK for women in paceville to wear short tight latex nun outfits for halloween and carnival, wearing a cross with it might even guarantee you a smile from the police even!!!! prosit malta.

Anthony Farrugia

Oct 24th 2009, 11:20

This incident should not have been taken to court let alone arrive before appeal court. How frivilous! What a waste of time and money! No wonder there is such a backlog and bottleneck of cases which take years to come to judgement.

Joe Fenech

Oct 24th 2009, 10:03

A case about vilifying religion - WHAT A LAUGH!!!!!

Ayatollahs state!

Stefan Kottmann

Oct 24th 2009, 09:38

Great. Now I know what I may wear.

edmond baldacchino

Oct 24th 2009, 09:10

whats wrong for dressing up like a nun , are we going back to the middle ages , (MEDJU EVU ) lol ma xbiza

Philip Sultana

Oct 24th 2009, 08:42

This country is going crazy ... we're still in the middle-ages!

Denis Catania

Oct 24th 2009, 01:31

This sounds like the arrest should never have been made. How about the person who pleaded guilty to this false charge ? His conviction should be pardoned by the President asap.

Leonard Gauci

Oct 23rd 2009, 21:52

I wonder how many thousands of euros this whole episode has cost the Maltese taxpayer.

john Micallef

Oct 23rd 2009, 21:13

B'din ir- rata r-referndum li jmiss ha jkun: Trid li l-innu Malti jibqa dak li hu, jew inkella postu jittiehed mid-diska pajjiz tal- Mickey Mouse, sal- lum kantata min john bundy'

daniel farrugia

Oct 23rd 2009, 20:40

@ joe scerri and his supporters

what do the marcijiet ta filodu have to do with this incident??

if there is someone in the marcijiet ta filodu without a t-shirt or half naked it is the police work to fine them or tell them to wear the t-shirt acording to maltese law!!! and sometimes this happens (i saw some incidents like this with my own eyes),

i just can't understand why you are critising the feasts and saying that their is nothing wrong with the nadur carnival. i actually like both. but if some of you were in nadur, one could see people vomiting on the churches door, nearlly naked men and women on the wall surrounding the church dancing with the stone statues places in the pjazza! thats ok for you since it is not about feasts i think???

Joe Grima

Oct 23rd 2009, 20:24

Well done Chief Justice de Gaetano. The courts can do a great deal to bring Malta out of the middle ages. Some recent decisions taken by the Courts will, I hope, assist our people to emerge into the European daylight.

JOHN GIACCHINO

Oct 23rd 2009, 20:04

Joe Scerri could have not summed it up better..Very aptly put!

Joseph Casha

Oct 23rd 2009, 20:04

This is all such a waste of time. If anyone of these people were convicted and had the time and money, all they had to do was take it up to the court of human right, then we would see our legal system get laughed upon.

Joe Brincat

Oct 23rd 2009, 19:40

Good one Charles Sammut.

What if they dressed up as priests or deacons, would they have been convicted?

John Galea

Oct 23rd 2009, 19:20

To James -

How can you compare someone dressing up as a nun to someone dressing up as mohammed? And as a side comment: How would one dress up as mohammed? - trick question :P

Jason Borg

Oct 23rd 2009, 19:20

@ joe scerri: I agree with you. In fact il-marcijiet ta` filghodu are on the way out.

John Galea

Oct 23rd 2009, 19:16

A Positive Side to a stupid, unnecessary, time-wasting case would be that at least now we know that the courts aren't as stupid as some people make them out to be.

I would have guessed that there are far worse criminals out there, then some guys and girls wearing costumes during carnival. (hint to the police)

Edward camilleri

Oct 23rd 2009, 19:12

it is like we are in the middle ages! Is a nun's attire protected by law? Prosit to the Chief Justice for throwing out the case.

James De Giorgio

Oct 23rd 2009, 19:06

I wonder what our politically-correct country which is fast finding any non-muslim jibes acceptable would do if someone dressed up as Mohammed?

I hope no-one does, for it's not nice to hurt others, but were it to happen, would they be let off scot-free?

joe scerri

Oct 23rd 2009, 18:48

Vilifying religion are the obscenities that take place during the "marc ta filghodu", half naked, drunken youths singing, swearing and hurling insults at the rival saint. This country is a joke.

M.Caruana

Oct 23rd 2009, 18:34

In my humble opinion, it is also those that wear as priests, do not intend to villify anything but meant to be as a joke / satire.

I am not an ultra staunch Catholic, I only go to mass once a week and do say the odd prayer here and there during the day, but feel that my catholic sentiments are not haressed/hurt by people wearing garments of priests or even Christ himself. If anything, they remind me, during the carinval itself, that there is a God that loves us all, irrespective.

It is only us, silly, that make a fuss of this. Look at the Muslim case, when they make a similar fuss, how some look in awe at them. Do not make people respect God through fear of being taken to court (as the Church used to do in times gone by) but teach them how to respect the Lord through your own actions and respect to these people.

If someone is hurt by seeing someone dressed as a priest during carnival, then all I can say is look the other side, because your own fuss at these people wearing a habit or something probably hurts God Himself.

adrian aquilina

Oct 23rd 2009, 18:26

religious fundementalism in malta...let people dress as they want at carnivals..religion,politics are not above being lampooned..people moan about islamic fundementalists,well malta is full of catholic ones...more proof that mediteranean countries will never be european as their ways,religious fundementalism and their thinking is just too far behind...not much hope for a modern progressive malta

Charles Sammut

Oct 23rd 2009, 17:54

This is unbelievable. The AG has the time and resources to pursue such a trivial and inconsequent matter and yet he did not act on 2 (two) judicial protests about overspending in the MEP election campaign.

Dr Emmy Bezzina, B.A.,LL.D.

Oct 23rd 2009, 17:42

Congratulations to THE CHIEF JUSTICE, a conscientious MAN-of the-LAW,for this logical and reasoned Appeal Judgment to an illogical and frivolous Appeal filed by the Attorney General who should be concentrating on more serious matters,such as those that effect the stability of Democracy in our Country relating to which the AG did not even bother to take any action to the violent violations of our Electoral Laws in the wake of the June 6th EU Parliament Elections,almost FIVE MONTHS ago!!

Joseph Schembri

Oct 23rd 2009, 17:34

Hurrah for reason! But what a waste of court time when there is such a backlog of cases in the courts. One only has to look at stories in the Times to see how the courts of law actually inflict suffering on the innocent and aid culprits by the incredibly long time it takes for verdicts to be given.

Luke Tabone

Oct 23rd 2009, 17:06

I am still offended by the actions of these so called adults. Nuns...how original

Raymond Cachia

Oct 23rd 2009, 17:03

They were not in bad taste, they were just very funny.

The new maxim for the world should be "Laughter is next to Godliness". All the gloom and doom in the news is making us all sick.

Comedy is the new religion - the old "fire and thunder gods" better leave the room.

Now, what is really in bad taste is all the garish statues that abound in the Churches in Malta and Gozo, and most especially those rouge covered angels that bedeck our streets from May to September.