This weekend everyone is agog with the Eurovision. This national pastime dominates conversation during this time of year. Lovers and haters of the festival discuss, albeit for different reasons, all aspects of this festival.

Eurovision lovers believe that this year there is more “justification” for indulging in their passion. The Maltese singer, Gianluca Bezzina, made it to the finals. If I my memory serves me right this is the second consecutive year that Malta’s chosen singer managed to get to the finals. Quite naturally thanks are due to the singer. But definitely thanks are not due to the singer alone.

Two gentlemen stand out among those who contributed to this success. These are Joe Mizzi, the outgoing Chairman of PBS and Anton Attard, the incumbent CEO of our public service broadcaster. The intense lobbying of the first and the awesome organisational and technical skills of the other are responsible for the great show made by Malta in the last two years. It is reprehensible and utterly stupid that there are those who have made it their mission in life to kick Anton out of PBS.

Besides, would it not have been more gentlemanly had Joe Mizzi been left as Chairman of PBS to oversee the Eurovision and the general assembly of EBU which, thanks to him, will be held in Malta this June?

But the object of this blog is not the Eurovision. Its objective is to highlight things that are happening and which have been completely dwarfed by this event. Man and women do not live by the Eurovision alone!

Yesterday timesofmalta.com gave coverage to an initiative which is praiseworthy as much as it is creative and innovative. The diocese of Gozo on the occasion of the Feast of Pentecost organised a Confirmation celebration of 267 children coming from all the parishes of Gozo.

This must have been a very special day for all the children, their families and all the diocese of Gozo. Bishop Grech deserves praise and thanks for organising this collective celebration.

There is another significant aspect to this celebration. The ceremony saw the introduction of a scarlet cape for all the children receiving the sacrament of Confirmation in Gozo.

Several years back, Bishop Nikol Cauchi had introduced a common dress for those who received their First Holy Communion. Bishop Mario Grech has now extended the same idea to the celebration of the sacrament of Confirmation. The cost of the capes is also being borne by the community, helping to bring costs down for the parents.

This innovation has at least two positive points. The new cape would emphasise in a very effective way that Confirmation is an occasion of great religious significance and a fashion show. Besides, all children would be similarly dressed and none would feel inferior to anyone else.

I suggest that both initiatives be copied by the Archdiocese of Malta. A collective celebration of Confirmation (even one not covering all the parishes of Malta) would be a most fitting celebration of Pentecost. The Maltese bishops can be helped by a number of parish priests so that the celebration would not be too long.

Up to now the Archbishops delegates members of the Cathedral Chapter to celebrate the sacrament in his stead. I don’t see any reason why this delegation should be reserved to members of such an out-dated institution as the Cathedral Chapter. Parishes are the fulcrum of the life of the Church. The Cathedral Chapter is, in real terms, anything but that.