Reading in The Times about the reliquary containing part of the head of the martyr St Sebastian that was brought over from Rome to Qormi provoked in me mixed feelings about the island I happen to live on and the Church I happen to belong to.

Just a month ago, people here were speaking of the dawn of a new enlightenment and, here we are, with more of the same of Malta wanting to live in past ages.

Two years ago we’ve had the failed attempt at curbing on exaggerations in village feasts on our streets. Who is doing what to curb these exaggerations in our churches, particularly with the pseudo-liturgies that are rampant? In June, we already had something very similar in Żebbuġ and I am sure more is still to come. Where are parish priests leading us to? Or are they simply being led, just to keep the flock happy?

It’s a Church that continues to ignore the times and insists on perpetuating an infantile faith and religion. We’ll never grow up and we seem to be happy as a Church to be sidelined from what awaits us in terms of prophecy.