David's Diary: Friday, April 17, 2003

Good Friday in Malta

Mosta Cathedral

The Maltese are a Christian society having been converted by St. Paul when he washed up on the island in 60 AD. There are 313 churches in Malta and 46 in Gozo for a population of 400,000. Good Friday is one of the biggest religious celebrations of the year with many pageants and parades. One of the biggest of these is in the town of Mosta. The parade starts in the Mosta Cathedral and we arrived early to pick a good position to watch the event.

Doing Penance

Parishioners who feel they owe penance can apply to their local priest to take part in the parade. Their penance is to haul chains on their ankles for the seven or eight kilometres on the route. They are dressed all in white and wear hoods so that they are not recognized as the penance is between the parishioner and God.

Carrying the Cross

The events of Good Friday unfold as the parade continues. Men carry a cross along the whole parade route.

Roman Soldier

Roman soldiers symbolize the rulers who put Christ on the cross. The costumes are realistic and the metal is polished until it shines brightly.

Christ and the Cross

There are several platforms with statues that pass by. They show Christ in the various stages of Good Friday from lumbering under the weight of the cross to being put upon it. The platforms require eight people to carry them and are so heavy that the people carrying them can only shuffle along and must stop after only one or two minutes to rest.

Allen and Marit

The pace of the parade is slow as there are numerous stops. Allen gets a little bored as it takes over an hour and a half for the parade to makes its way past us. Our friend Marit from Sylphe has joined us and she helps keep Allen entertained by relating the dress, props, and people that go by to the events of Good Friday. The parade reminds us that when the Maltese get involved in an event, they are 100% involved.