Curia considering directives on fireworks

The Church authorities in Malta have condemned instances where the letting off of petards cause hardship to the sick, the elderly and others and are considering directives to regulate fireworks, the Archbishop's Curia said yesterday.

Referring to the recent public complaints about noisy fireworks during town and village feasts, the Curia said the Church had been insisting for many years on the need for moderation in fireworks spending, quantity and the power of petards and about the observance of laws in this regard.

The Church authorities welcomed and encouraged initiatives by those who strove to reduce the waste of resources on fireworks which ended up in smoke and to generate more resources to be applied in solidarity with persons who were in need.

But, the Curia added, in many cases, the Church authorities and the parish priests were not involved in fireworks and they had no control on the collection of money for the production of fireworks.

The Church authorities believed that the times when fireworks are let off and the localities chosen should be regulated through updated laws that took into consideration the most important priorities of society.

The Curia added that in view of the fact that warnings by the Church authorities did not lead to the desired discipline in the case of fireworks, the Church together with parish priests was considering directives to regulate fireworks, following a process of consultation, as was done in the case of the band clubs, to stop incidents among rival bands during feasts.

Fireworks fill the night sky with light and colour during a village feast. But the Curia is to try and regulate the letting off of petards, "which end up in smoke" and cause hardship to the sick.