The Passion and Death of Jesus Christ is commemorated tomorrow by the Catholic Church. It is a time of reflection about what took place in the Holy Land two millennia ago and its significance today.

Jesus’ betrayal by one of his own apostles, Judas, and his trial at the hands of his own people and the Romans, followed by his death on the Cross are episodes that have shaped history and religion. Without the Crucifixion, the world would be a different place today.

But it is through His Death and His Resurrection that Jesus Christ redeemed the world.

The Church as we know it today was built on Christ’s teachings. It has its place all over the world as we have recently seen when the Pope visited Mexico and the Caribbean. But the Church must also look within and reflect on its relevance in today’s way of life. It is undeniable that the Church’s influence has dramatically fallen in past decades – but it still has a big role to play in modern society; what it must work on is to see how this significance is used to its utmost.

Malta, like any other Catholic country, commemorates Jesus Christ’s Passion and Death with liturgical celebrations in churches that are followed by processions in the streets of various towns and villages. The thousands who will attend these events would do well to think about the solemnity of the occasion, and not turn them into yet another chance to “have fun”. Attire should also be appropriate for such an occasion.

These last few years have unfortunately seen an escalation of unwarranted behaviour among people who attend these activities. It is not uncommon to see people chattering and laughing loudly, or munching away on take-away food while the procession is taking place.

Good Friday processions are not picnics – one is free not to participate, but people lining up the streets should understand that there are many others who consider the occasion as being sacred. If people want to have picnics and eat take-away food, they are free to do so in the comfort of their homes or far away from the streets where the processions are being held, but they should not offend others by blatantly choosing to disrespect them.