The Leone Philharmonic Society has once again criticised Bishop Mario Grech for failing to meet the bands representatives since he was nominated two years ago. The club has also reiterated that it should have been consulted over the appointment of a new parish priest for the Cathedral.

The society said that it was the legitimate and legal representative of the parishioners of the Cathedral parish in the Pastoral Council and therefore had a legitimate role to play in the promoting and defending of parishioners views and rights. It added that Canon Law urged the diocesan bishop to seek the opinion of parishioners on the appointment of a new parish priest.

It said that Mgr Grech had never informed the society that it had acted incorrectly at any point. It could therefore not accept claims by “sources in the Bishop’s Curia” which had sought to justify the removal of the parish priest because they “could not continue to tolerate the farcical episodes that were happening in Gozo”.

The society mentioned incidents which it considered to be farcical, such as the removal of the main door of the Astra Theatre (which should have been kept closed on the eve of the Santa Marija feast), the alleged discharge of ammonia into the street as its band approached the Astra, and the ringing of the bells at its rival church, St George’s Basilica, as the Leone band arrived in St George Square. It said however, that the Leone Band Club had nothing to do with these incidents, and nor did the parish priest.

“Such arguments by the Curia lead us to conclude that the Bishop has harvested the wheat with the grass and thrown everything into the fire. In this way, the good has been burnt with the bad, something which goes against the law of God and which, rather than dampening parochialism, is likely to weaken parish communities.”

The society concluded that the bishop would have cause for concern not when it made its voice heard, as was its duty, but when everybody ignored what was happening and indifference set in.