A newly-appointed Maltese Archpriest named John Sultana recently kicked off his inauguration with a special ceremony. During the event, the priest spoke to the people of the Żebbuġ parish before riding down the street standing upright in a Porsche Boxster. Unlike a typical parade, this Porsche was not driving under its own power, instead being pulled by a large team of small children holding onto ropes. Photos of the event can be found on the parish Facebook page, and amateur footage has also been uploaded to YouTube.
https://youtube.com/watch?v=HX3_YXrwXuQ%3Frel%3D0
According to the Times of Malta, this sort of parade has been a traditional celebration for some priests in the Gozo region of the country. Some responded negatively to the event, criticizing it as a flagrant display of wealth.
Speaking on the Maltese radio program ONE Breakfast, René Camilleri, a theology professor at the University of Malta called the parade a “load of rubbish,” stating, “I condemn whoever accepted that children pull this priest as he stood up in a Porsche. There’s a degree of emptiness in the Church right now and we cannot expect to attract people to us if we keep doing these sort of stupid things.”
On the same radio program, Żebbuġ councilor Sandra Grech gave her response. “I know Fr. John Sultana well and I know his intentions weren’t to come off as ostentatious. In fact, the Porsche belongs to his cousin.” She continued, “It wasn’t bad taste at all, and the Żebbuġin were all really happy and the children enjoyed it so much, all dressed in white. Afterward, we all celebrated with a large cake baked by the parish church that broke a national record.”
The Times of Malta also contacted John Sultana for comment. The priest told the publication “I’m sorry, but to me this simply isn’t an issue and certain comments being made are just not right.”
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