The Church has reminded the public that a dismissed priest is no longer allowed to celebrated mass after an incident where a former Franciscan priest walked onto to the altar in Gharghur earlier this week.

In a short statement, the Church reminded the public that Fr Adrian Cachia is no longer a member of the Franciscan order and does not have permission to celebrate mass in public.

The short statement did not provide any more details but this newsroom is informed that the statement was sent in relation to an ‘incident’ that took place during mass in Gharghur in recent days.

Times of Malta reported that, on Tuesday, Cachia, wearing his priestly attire, walked up to the altar before Holy Communion, prompting the celebrant, Għargħur parish priest Christopher Galea, to walk off the altar in protest.

The newspaper said the two priests were seen “arguing” before Galea stopped Mass and returned to the sacristy.

The parish priest told Times of Malta he refused to have Cachia there because he knew he had been banned. He said the mass, which was being held on the occasion of the feast of Saint Bartholomew, resumed a few minutes later.

Cachia was dismissed from the Franciscan order over “insubordination” in 2016.

The well-known priest, who used to personally run a Rabat home for troubled homeless teens, had told this newsroom in 2016 that his dismissal was spurred by the order’s Provincial dislike for him.

He had alleged that the Provincial disliked him for having given inheritance money to charity, rather than to the order.

Cachia had disobeyed instructions to remain at the convent, choosing instead to spend time with homeless youths at the Rabat house he had converted for the task.

He had appealed his dismissal and wrote to the Vatican in the hopes of getting it overturned.

This newsroom had, at the time, also contacted Provincial Minister Fr Richard Stanley Grech, who had preferred not to comment.

“I believe you understand that these are very delicate issues that require a high level of prudence. Those who are intelligent enough need no explanation. Those who are not intelligent will find no explanation to be enough. In the best interests of Fr Cachia, of the objective truth and of the common spiritual good, all I can say is that these are internal affairs and I will stop there,” Grech had said.