Church calls off Marsa feast

The Church has decided that the feast in Marsa, due to be celebrated on June 6, will not be held.

The Curia said yesterday that after closely examining the situation at the locality it felt it was duty-bound to call off the feast. It said that although it did not wish to do so, the decision was motivated by a sense of responsibility towards the common good and public order.

It hoped that through work and goodwill the situation would change and there would be greater unity within the parish.

The Marsa feast, the Curia said, was often a scene for fights, insults, unacceptable rivalry and disorder.

The Church authorities also noted that the external festivities organisation Trinità Mqaddsa (Holy Trinity), which had been formed by the parish priest years ago to assist him in the organisation of the feast, was now acting in an independent manner, sometimes against the will of the parish priest himself.

In a bid to resolve the situation, the Curia had proposed that the organisation would undertake that the parish priest's decisions are followed.

However, it added, this proposal was not accepted.

Efforts to contact the parish priest of Marsa were not successful.