The Bishop of Gozo said today that after nine years during which he was the main preacher at village feasts, he was now ‘handing over’ to the priests of the communities.

In an open letter to the priests of the diocese, Mgr Mario Grech urged them to speak about current issues which affect the lives of their parishioners when they deliver their homilies.

He said that he was sometimes criticized because his sermons had not followed the traditional style of the panegierku.

In his view, however, repetitive sermons limited to praise of the village patron saint or a historic account were far from what the preaching of the Word should be.

While one should preach about the saints, the faithful had to be urged to imitate the saints in their way of life.

Priests needed to preach not only about the history of the saints, but their relevance in everyday life.

Mgr Grech therefore urged the priests to prepare their sermons well. Their reflections  should concretely touch on the everyday life of the people and the community based on the life of the saints and the Word of God.

The priests should be measured in the style and the gestures they used. Although poetry had its value, he preferred it if this style was not used, Mgr Grech said.

Furthermore, sermons on the feast days should not exceed half an hour.