As we approach Carnival weekend, we commemorate the complex relationship between the Jesuits and Carnival celebrations in Malta with a special lecture by Prof. Emanuel Buttigieg on the Carnival riots of 1639.
Between 1530 and 1798, Malta was home to the military-religious Order of St John. From 1592 to 1768 the Society of Jesus was also present in this Catholic outpost from where it supported the mission of the Order and sought to remould Hospitaller piety. The relationship between these two organizations had ramifications that spread beyond tiny Malta, both because of the issues that arose between them, as well as because of the international composition of the Order and the Society.
The Carnival of 1639 proved to be a defining moment in this relationship. When, under Jesuit influence, Grand Master Lascaris (of 'wiċċ Laskri' fame), tried to rein in carnival festivities, this left ‘the People and the Artists very disgruntled’. The ensuing events were indeed carnivalesque.
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