The Church once again has condemned of any form of ideologies, expressed in any way, that sow hatred and discrimination on the basis of race or culture.
It was asked to react by The Malta Independent following the publication of photos showing the design theme of fireworks being used in the upcoming Mosta feast, to be celebrated next week. Controversy erupted after pictures emerged of fireworks bearing a design and insignia very similar to those used by Nazi Germany in the 1940s.
The design features an insignia with the imperial German eagle as its centre-piece, holding a wreath containing the Maltese eight-pointed cross. The ‘Reichsadler’, as it is known, derives from ancient times and has taken numerous shapes and forms throughout German history – however the only time that it has taken the form of the insignia that adorns the group of 32 fireworks is between 1933 and 1945, when it was the Parteiadler of National Socialist German Worker’s Party – better known as the Nazi Party, and then between 1935 and 1945 as the actual Reichsadler when the Nazi Party took government. From 1949, the eagle took on another design and is now known as the Bundesadler.
The black-red-white design used on the fireworks also reflects the colours used by the Nazi party while they were in government – in fact members of the Gestapo, the Nazi’s secret police, amongst others wore uniforms with this exact colour scheme.
Questions were sent by this newsroom to the Church with regards to the symbols used on the fireworks, asking whether the Church condones their use as part of the celebration of religious feasts.
“Any form of ideologies, expressed in any way that sow hatred and discrimination on the basis of race or culture are contrary to the teachings of the Catholic Church and are to be condemned”, a spokesperson for the Church replied.
Questions sent to the Socjeta Filarmonika Santa Marija Mosta – the society by whom the fireworks were made – as to why they were allowing the use of such symbols, were unanswered at the time of writing.