Saturday, 7th November 2009
Village feast is a religious celebration
Alex Vella Gregory's letter considering the Church's feasts consultation document as an "attack on village feasts" contains a hotch-potch of arguments which premise that village feasts are not religious feasts (November 3). He says that "none of the festa manifestations have any basis in liturgical or biblical sources". Has he ever been to the parish church which celebrated its festa? Has he ever taken part in the religious, social, charitable and similar activities organized by every church as part of its festa celebrations?
Festas have only one origin: the celebration of the holiness of saints who help us model our lives on that of the Lord Jesus. The way festas have developed over the last 30 years merits study and discussion but it is a fact that festas are a product of Maltese society and mirror it in its behaviour, habits, thought processes and values.
Mr Vella Gregory emphasises that the Church "should in no way interfere with what happens outside its walls". As if the Church were a fortified city! Does the same line of thought apply to the Church's involvement in education, in the care of children, of the infirm, of the elderly and of people with problems in its institutions, and in helping those who are in various kinds of needs?
Thank God the Church will continue working to fulfil its mission - even though this is not understood by Mr Vella Gregory who envisages a Malta and Maltese society without the presence of the Church, a presence considered by many to be a positive element in contemporary Maltese culture and way of life.
History abounds with societies who lost the dimension and practice of the faith to their collective grief. As it transpires from the document, the Church believes that village feasts should be a happy community celebration, both religious and secular, where families (including children) can enjoy themselves, renew friendships, socialise with members of their extended families, listen to beautiful church and band music and appreciate the work of our fireworks craftsmen.
This is true of some parishes. It should be so in all of them. This is why this consultation document has been published.
By leaving the Church out of his reckoning Mr Vella Gregory cannot present her with any positive contribution.
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Comments
The feast outside the church is not and was never a religious celebration. It is a popular celebration.
Therefore 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.
I am in favor of marches, bands, and external celebrations as long as there is no abuse and insults being thrown around. Feasts can be enhanced enormously if they are kept "clean" - some competing parishes and/or band clubs are acting like irresponsible kids, fighting foolishly and I still can't understand why.
I hail from Qormi San Gorg but love the feast of San Bastjan also because they too make a very nice feast so why not enjoy them both? We entertain our friends with dinners and we also enjoy when they entertain us with their dinners - feasts should be enjoyed by all and no one should be offended during the celebrations.
Besides, feasts are an integral part of our culture. Parish priests, Band Clubs and others must work very hard to make sure their feasts are celebrated with joy and that no one gets insulted.