Anthony Muscat, Mosta
The Church's right over village feasts
It is not right for Alex Vella Gregory (The Church's Attack On Village Feasts, October 24) to say that the village festa falls outside the remit of the Catholic Church.
If we talk of the feast of a saint, then the basis of the festa is first and foremost a religious one. Therefore, to say that the festa is a religious celebration is a fact and not an assumption.
The communal cultural aspect of the festa is a phenomenon which has evolved over the years. This aspect has added to the scope of the feast and it is mistaken to see it as being the main scope. So the Church has all the right to dictate how a festa is conducted. It is very positive that other organisations, like band clubs and fireworks factories, participate and contribute to enhance the festa, but this does not give such organisations the right to hijack the festa and take it at a tangent.
As Mr Vella Gregory acknowledged, unruly behaviour has in the past led to the cancellation of feasts. But what Mr Vella Gregory missed is that excess does not only include unlawful or criminal behaviour but also behaviour which goes beyond the scope of its occurrence.
In this regard it is not right to argue that the controlling parameter of the festa should be just civil law. If this were the case, then communal cultural activities could still have been carried out when the Church decided to cancel feasts.
However, this was never the case, which thus proves where the heart of the festa is. Finally, it is very dangerous to link the festa with Church attendance as this is a clear indication of the decline of the real understanding of why one attends Mass.
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Christian Sciberras
Jan 17th 2010, 22:19
@C.Busuttil - Personal attacks won't get you anywhere.
You ought to read people full posts before uttering crap, since I don't have anything against feasts at all. I won't explain myself anymore, no use talking to a wall.
C.Busuttil
Nov 4th 2009, 11:58
@Christian Sciberras
The healthy lifestyler needs a lesson since his healthy lifestyle is to pass his time writing on this blog.
All your charade against feasts, has one reason you are against the catholic faith. Trying to portrait yourself in favour of certain points will not fool me. You have no idea about the subject you just have a grudge. I advice to read what Fr. Serracino Inglot has written lately about the local feasts.
Happy lifestyle on this blog
Christian Sciberras
Nov 4th 2009, 10:39
@h galea - Correct. The "God" in these feasts is just an excuse to a social event.
Believe it or not, some people go to feasts without knowing who's the saint they're celebrating.
@Stefan Kottmann - Agreed.
Christian Sciberras
Nov 4th 2009, 10:36
@Ramon Casha, Chris Ebejer - See my previous comments.
@Roderick Bajada - You seem to miss the point of making a donation. The Church doesn't impose on anyone to fund it, thus the funds are being donated.
As such, you or anyone else, do not have any say (legally or else) on the matter of how the Church utilizes the money.
@Ramon Casha - What do you mean by Church? Perhaps, the stone building? If not, then I'm afraid the Church has every right to maneuver/guide/... it's supporters. If they don't like it, they're free to get out of it.
@Peter Mallia - The Church has legal entities, as such it has responsibilities; duties to manage it's supporters. As with all duties, it has rights accompanying such duties. No one likes their duties. And no one likes other people having rights (talk about selfish).
@C.Busuttil - Looks like we caught eye of an expert. Explain to me why you celebrate feasts. Then we can talk.
@Carmel J. Caruana - However, it's feasts we're talking about. I think it's about time we quit talking about 20-year-old history and get realistic.
Christian Sciberras
Nov 4th 2009, 10:22
Some people seem to confuse between feasts and club events;
when is religious and the other is social (at its best).
If you wants feasts, join the Church, by it's standards.
If you want a "social event" there's plenty out there, without involvement of the Church.
I'm afraid I'll have to threat you like idiots, so, what is the point of celebrating a feast?
I mean, do you people out there celebrate wedding anniversaries just to meet with your friends?!
Of course the Church is the primary authority on this matter. It isn't about opinions, the Church invented feasts, and they get to manage them.
As I said, there's plenty other events out there. Not happy with the Church's? Just attend other events.
Stefan Kottmann
Nov 3rd 2009, 23:09
The church has no monopoly on the people it made saints. It cannot stop you from calling them saints, even if you dont beleive in sainthood. It should not stop people celebrating a saint on the same day the church does. But when you use church statues and organise events on church property and have a history of church involvement, collaboration and dispute resolvement between rival bands...you're pretty much interdependent and not indipendent from the church. Meaning you deserve what you get.
h galea
Nov 3rd 2009, 21:19
Friends, I do not follow,feasts and 1000 saints but where is GOD, We should celebrate feasts to God and to no body else.Too many Hail Marys on the media but few or none about God,our first tought in the morning should be towards God then saints follow after wards.We are loosing our faith.
Carmel J. Caruana
Nov 3rd 2009, 19:34
Festivals have been part of human culture long before the Church was set up. People just like to enjoy themselves and make the most of their short time on this earth.
Actually what happened historically was that the Church tried to hijack festivals and turn them into religious occasions to increase its influence within society (even Christmas preceeded Christ! See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christmas).
Franco Farrugia
Nov 3rd 2009, 19:33
@ C. Busuttil: I cannot but agree with you that the Curia failed to identify the main locality-culprits in these excesses. However, such excesses happen everywhere. I also find t strange about curbing street decos but I am sure that there are experienced parish priests behind these proposed regulations.
C.Busuttil
Nov 3rd 2009, 18:12
To all experts that have no clue in organizing a feast they should stop writing about topics they have no idea about. The Curia in the seventies washed her hands from all external activities during the feast. Those who argument that it should be the parish priest and the parish pastoral council who organize external celebrations God help us, they are not capable of keeping a parish alive let alone organize a feast.
The secret why feasts are so successful is because the organizers manage to involve many people, because their work is fruit of their dedication and sacrifices besides the energy and enthusiasm they put in. The Church has always been jealous of such effort which she is incapable of emulating, no wonder the decline of the church in Malta.
@Franco Farrugia the orgy of drinking you mention occurs only in a relatively few localties had the church the courage to single them out and ban them nobody would say anything however the document does not make any distinction. To add insult to injury the Curia is proposing limitations on street decorations, the least controversial item in our feasts with the sole intention to kill the enthusiasm SHAME
Chris Ebejer
Nov 3rd 2009, 16:19
The Church has absolutely NO right to interfere in the social organization of any Festa. Being under the name of a saint does not mean the curia owns a privileged copyright authority over the saint's name!
The issue at stake behind the document is about 2 prime motivations that are:
The very same authors are seeking to improve their personal status within the local Curia's authority, and secondly the disturbing fact that the curia is loosing thousands of euros annually for the sake that people are giving them to band clubs and other external festivities committees !
Anthony Roberts
Nov 3rd 2009, 15:56
I agree with Mr. Muscat. The festa is the feast of patron saint of the village. It is a Church function and it is the right of the Church to say what should and should not be done under the realms of such an event. If the statue of the patron saint is in sight, then there must be respect, otherwise the true value and meaning of the Festa will disappear forever.
Control of the fireworks and its noise was mentioned in the times when this topic was introduced some weeks ago.
Lawrence Mifsud
Nov 3rd 2009, 13:57
Could not agree more to the reasoning done by E. Portelli. Let the Church celebrate the feast of a Patron Saint in a solemn way; and let the Local Council organize any other non-religious festivities: but NOT concurrently with religious ceremonies. Festivities can take place, say, a week apart.
Henry S Pace
Nov 3rd 2009, 13:03
I fully agree with Mr Muscat that the church is the organiser of the patron of the parish as well of the secondary feats in the villages. I am referring to the villages because only in villages secondry feasts are held.
From the onset I wash to express that all feasts are primarily religous and the rest is just to let steam off from people wishing to celebrate outdoor festivities.
The meaning of religious Feasts are for the glory of God through the life of the respective saint and the Blessed Virgin. No matter what what people say.
Outdoor festivities should only be organised under the Parish Presbytery council with the help of the laymen of goodwill.
Lets remove the old customs to bring the new.
Peter Mallia
Nov 3rd 2009, 12:59
I do not understand Mr Muscats comments. The church has a right?!
The last time I checked and this is something which is preached, the church is the gathering of the believers who come together to participate in fellowship with one another as they worship God and hear from His Word, the Bible. The church as a whole has been equipped with people possessing different gifts.
The church sets a rather bad example on how to teach people..... it is using the Patron saint as a way for herself to hijack the same feast from so many dedicated people.... I happen to be lucky in knowing a number of these dedicated people and the last thing they want is for some unruly person to ruin their feast.
E.Portelli
Nov 3rd 2009, 12:26
@Ramon Casha
In my opinion, the village feast outside the church IS and shall always BE the Authority of the Curia since this is linked with the procession of the celebrated Village Saint.
If the village band clubs want to do a social event, ‘monti’ and perhaps also a booze disco party, they can do so by organising some other function some other time…..like the Notte Bianca etc etc
Franco Farrugia
Nov 3rd 2009, 12:04
No, much as I am all out for the Church to be mindful of its limitations, I, too, agree, that the Church has every right to regulate what happens during festas. There is no festa without the religious feast, Mr Muscat and Mr Casha. If that were to be the case, then it should be up to the Local Council of the locality in question to start organising locality feasts which would therefore have nothing to do with the feast of the religious patron or patroness. This is like having my birthday and my invited guests create a rumpus outside my house; I have every right to stop that rumpus or else, I just don t organise any birthday activity.
The reality is that people are making use of these feasts in order to create trouble and a drinking orgy. Riding on the back of the Church. This is just not on. This is not the Church in the 21st century in Malta.
Roderick Bajada
Nov 3rd 2009, 12:01
Dear Anthony Muscat,
Not even Christ or indeed any Saint belong to the Church. The Church Belongs to them and not the reverse.
When it comes to external celebrations, all that has been done / built, has been done with the money of the people and thus they belong only to the people.
I ask the Church if the reform has anything to do with the Church's latest report stating that they are making lesss and less profit.....
Ramon Casha
Nov 3rd 2009, 11:26
Although I am no fan of the excesses of the village festa, Mr. Vella Gregory was absolutely right - the church has NO authority over what happens outside the church. The village festa is primarily not a religious event but a social one.