The feast of Our Lady’s birth, which Maltese Catholics mark on Sunday, has been given the highest possible status within the Catholic Church following a request by Malta’s bishops.

Pope Francis accepted the request, made by Archbishop Charles Scicluna, Gozo Bishop Mario Grech and Auxiliary Bishop Joseph Galea-Curmi, to celebrate the day with solemnity.

In Catholicism’s liturgical calendar, a solemnity is a feast day of the highest rank and begin with a vigil on the evening before the day of the feast.

Solemnities replace the celebration of Sundays outside Advent, Lent and Easter.

The feast of Our Lady’s birth, commonly known as il-Bambina, always falls on September 8 and is a national feast – Victory Day - which also marks the end of two sieges for Malta.

It now joins other feast days related to the life of Our Lady – the Immaculate Conception, which is celebrated on December 8 and the Assumption, celebrated on August 15, as feasts with solemnity.

Archbishop Scicluna highlighted the Pope’s decision to accede to their request during a homily he gave on Sunday at Mellieħa parish church. 

“This feast is very dear to us and our history, as it reminds us of our roots,” the Archbishop said. “When Maltese were trying to seize their destiny in their own hands, they always thought of this day as the one which made them who they are”.

The archbishop said that while our ancestors had overcome the troubles of war, Maltese today faced different sorts of challenges which sought to rob humanity of its dignity.

“To believe that a baby begins its life at conception is not a Catholic issue, but rather one of science,” he said.