Parishes, parishioners, and parochialism : a survey of the parochial controversies taking place in Gozo with particular reference to the last twenty years

Abstract

Parishes in Gozo are often referred to as medieval and their parishioners as "simple and backward". Such names are certainly not complimentary but they are not uttered without cause, even though perhaps hard and degrading. Personally, as Gozitan and journalist and one that has been born and bred in one of the most active "parochial" environment think that the adjectives are rather misleading, even if they contain a lot of truth. In fact, in spite of the fact that parochialism is the source of many petty inter-parochial rivalries one cannot say that it is the sole cause of social and economic dissatisfaction. Excessive spending on church decorations may not always be the result of competion. Sometimes it may be also, as has often been the case, the innocent urge of an artistic attitude. There are of course instances when sentimental aspirations are allowed to shadow all intellectual inspirations but one would, in my opinion, do a great disservice to Gozo and its people were one to judge their rate by standards prevailing to the North of what was once called the Kingdom of Two Sicilies [...].