The Archdiocese of Malta is publishing directives on feast celebrations for this year. These directives, which come into force on the 1st of July and apply only for this year, explain in detail what was announced by the Bishops in March and now it can be implemented.

In a statement, the Archdiocese said that the directives are based on three principles: “that the Christian people give thanks to God for everything that He has done for us, especially in this year that has been marked by the pandemic; to strengthen the sense of unity in Christian communities; and to give special importance to the principle of solidarity by placing more emphasis than usual on the help that the Church offers to people in need.”

The feast will be celebrated with a Solemn Mass and a pilgrimage through the streets of the town / village, on the date of the liturgical feast or on the Sunday on which the feast is usually celebrated in the summer months. An alternative day will be found for those feasts that have already passed.

The pilgrimage, which is a walk of faith and should not last longer than 2 hours, will be characterised by participatory prayer and may include the participation of bands accompanying prayers with religious hymns, the Archdiocese said.

The Archdiocese said that any “breach of the directives could lead to consequences on the feast in future.”

It added that the directives “should not be taken as permission for other initiatives which normally required permission from the church to be undertaken.”

The altar can be decorated as normal for the feast, and although the church facade can be decorated, as can roads in the locality, the parish should not go into any expenses for this to be carried out.

The Bishops stressed that “the church should be decorated modestly and with respect to the traditions of the place.” The directives say that the decorations should not be more than norm and the parish should not enter into any expense for decorations.

In addition to the festivities in the villages and towns, a diocesan pilgrimage will be organised on the 14th of September – A Thanksgiving to God led by Archbishop Charles Scicluna, with the devotional image of the Crucifix venerated in the Franciscan Church of St. Mary of Jesus,Valletta.

The Bishops called for “maturity and cooperation between all those involved in order that the feast pays homage to our patron saints and is truly an expression of gratitude – thanks be to God.”

Last month the Ministry for Home Affairs announced that a limited permit will be granted for fireworks on the days that local feasts are usually celebrated.

Photograph by Alain Salvary

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