| Bħalissa dan-sit qed jiġi rinnovat u xi paġni mhux qed jidhru kif suppost. Għalhekk niskużaw ruhna għal kull inkovenjent. |
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This page explains the collection of statues and statuary groups used in the various processions around the Maltese Islands. It should prove especially helpful to those who are not accustomed to this annual tradition and to the Passion of Jesus Christ in the Gospels.
The Passion is recounted by the statues through the following episodes, some of which form part of the Traditional Way of the Cross :
- The Last Supper
- The Agony in the Garden
- Judas Betrays Jesus with a Kiss
- The Denial of St Peter
- The Scourging at the Pillar
- Jesus Crowned with Thorns ('Ecce Homo')
- Jesus Falls under the Cross, locally known as the Redeemer (3rd, 7th & 9th Stations)
- Jesus meets His Mother Mary on His Way up the Calvary (4th Station)
- Jesus is helped to carry the Cross by Simon from Cyrene (5th Station)
- Veronica (6th Station of the Cross)
- Jesus is undressed before his Crucifixion (10th Station)
- The Crucifixion (12th Station)
- Jesus is lowered from the Cross (13th Station)
- The dead Jesus is given to his Mother Mary (Pieta')
- Jesus's Burial, locally known as The Monument (14th Station)
Our journey along with the Passion of Jesus Christ starts with the ‘Last Supper’. This statuary group is a recent addition to the processional sets of statues and is only present in two localities. It was first introduced in Qormi in 1961 and then in Zebbug Gozo in 1968. Although it is known by the name “The Last Supper” the importance of the event is the establishment of the Eucharist, Christ's gift of himself to all humanity.
Luke: 14:20 “And when the hour came, he reclined at table, and the apostles with him. And he said to them, "I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. For I tell you I will not eat it until it is fulfilled in the
One can imagine the sheer weight of this statuary group given that it is composed of thirteen figures including a wooden table and all the necessary accessories.
Following his last supper Jesus went to the Getshemane or
This episode marks the first in the traditional group of statues around the island and is present in all the processions. It is composed of the figure of Jesus, kneeling under an olive tree and an angel, close beside him holding a cross and a chalice. The cross and chalice held by the angel are symbols of the suffering that Jesus would endure in the last hours of his life.
Luke (39:44) And he came out and went, as was his custom, to the There are three examples of this episode that feature an additional angel, ie Cospicua, Qormi and The Cathedral in Victoria Gozo, but as you see above the scriptures tell of only of one angel.
 | This statuary group again is a relatively recent addition to the traditional set of statues and was first introduced to the Qormi procession in 1908 and then was added to a good number of sets over the years to the present date. It portrays the crucial moment in the Matthew 47:50 “ While he was still speaking, Judas came, one of the twelve, and with him a great crowd with swords and clubs, from the chief priests and the elders of the people. 48Now the betrayer had given them a sign, saying, "The one I will kiss is the man; seize him." And he came up to Jesus at once and said, "Greetings, Rabbi!" And he kissed him. Jesus said to him,) "Friend, do what you came to do.” Then they came up and laid hands on Jesus and seized him.” |
| Towards the end of his last supper Jesus had said to his apostles: Mark 14 - 27And Jesus said to them, "You will all fall away, for it is written, 'I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.' 28But after I am raised up, I will go before you to Galilee." 29 Peter said to him, "Even though they all fall away, I will not." 30And Jesus said to him, "Truly, I tell you, this very night, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times." This is yet another quite recent and unique addition to the statuary groups. It was introduced to the Nadur procession in 1988. |
In this group we see St Peter just as he has realised that what Jesus had foretold about his weakness has come true. He is seen shocked as Jesus is led away by a Jewish soldier to be cross-examined by Pontius Pilate.
Luke 22 - 54 Then they seized him and led him away, bringing him into the high priest’s house, and Peter was following at a distance. 55 And when they had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard and sat down together, Peter sat down among them. 56Then a servant girl, seeing him as he sat in the light and looking closely at him, said, "This man also was with him." 57But he denied it, saying, "Woman, I do not know him." 58And a little later someone else saw him and said, "You also are one of them." But Peter said, "Man, I am not." 59And after an interval of about an hour still another insisted, saying, "Certainly this man also was with him, for he too is a Galilean." 60But Peter said, "Man, I do not know what you are talking about." And immediately, while he was still speaking, the rooster crowed. 61And the Lord turned and looked at Peter. And Peter remembered the saying of the Lord, how he had said to him, "Before the rooster crows today, you will deny me three times." 62And he went out and wept bitterly. "
This next statue forms part of the traditional set in the processions and is present in all the sets in Malta and Gozo. Traditionally Jesus is seen standing, hands tied to a short marble column to his left or to his right. The marks of the first lashings appear on his body and the pain can be easily seen on his face. This setup was retained for centuries. Representations of this episode in the passion, introduced by Qormi in 1981 and Paola in 2005, present a somewhat more realistic and historically faithful picture . In Qormi Jesus is pictured as he is being released from his shackles from a tall column right after his scourging has finished, while in Paola Jesus is tied to a similar column this time being mercilessly tortured by one of Pontius Pilate’s floggers.
John (19:1) "Then Pilate took Jesus and flogged him."
Mark (15:15) "So Pilate, wishing to satisfy the crowd, released for them Barabbas, and having scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified. "
Matthew (27:26) ''Then he released for them Barabbas, and having scourged Jesus, delivered him to be crucified."
Immediately following the end of the flagellation, the Roman soldiers present in the Praetorium, having heard that Jesus had proclaimed himself the King of the Jews, started to mock him. They made a crown out of thorns and placed it on his head and dressed him in a red cape while they also gave him a reed to hold instead of a sceptre. This is also a figure present in all sets of processional statues. In its earlier versions Jesus is seen sitting down on a marble column, but later versions show Jesus standing alone. More recent depictions feature the Roman Governor Pontius Pilate by Jesus’ side as he is showing him to the crowd of Jews. Pilate is traditionally thought to have proclaimed ‘Ecce Homo’ in Latin (meaning ‘Behold the Man’) as he saw Jesus in that state. In fact this statue is commonly referred to by that name. (John 19) (2) And the soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on his head and arrayed him in a purple robe. (3)They came up to him, saying, "Hail, King of the Jews!" and struck him with their hands. |
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This episode which is found in every procession in Malta and Gozo represents the third, seventh and ninth stations of the Way of the Cross. Here Jesus falls beneath the unbearable weight of this large wooden cross on his way up to the Golgotha towards his Crucifixion. Although this episode is a traditional one and is not mentioned anywhere in the four Canonical Gospels, it attracts a lot of devotion from Catholics all over the islands. Some of these effigies are also considered to be miraculous as is the one seen here, which is part of the Isla set of statues.
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This is the fourth Station of the Way of the Cross where Jesus meets His Mother Mary whilst carrying the Cross up the Calvary. This is also an episode born out of religious tradition and not recorded in the four Gospels. This statuary group is uncommon and only found in three processions around the islands. The one seen here is from the Paola set.
Here is another uncommon statuary group which depicts the moment when Jesus is relieved from carrying the Cross by Simon from Cyrene. This is the fifth station from the Way of the Cross and is recorded in the Gospels of Luke, Mark and Matthew.
Mark 15: "And they compelled a passerby, Simon of Cyrene, who was coming in from the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to carry his cross."
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Veronica , is a legendary figure that according to the "Acta Sanctorum' was a pious woman of Jerusalem who, moved with pity as Jesus carried his cross to Golgotha, gave him her veil that he might wipe his forehead. Jesus accepted the offering and after using it handed it back to her, with the image of his face miraculously impressed upon it. Although this episode is not recorded in any of the four gospels, this statue is present in all processions, with the exception of the Gozo Catheral. |
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This statuary group portrays the 10th Station of the Way of the Cross. Here Jesus is undressed by Roman soldier in preparation for His crucifixion. This representation is unique and only present in Rabat in Malta.
"When the soldiers had crucified Jesus, they took his garments and divided them into four parts, one part for each soldier; also his tunic. But the tunic was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom, so they said to one another, "Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it to see whose it shall be."This was to fulfill the Scripture which says,
"They divided my garments among them,
and for my clothing they cast lots."
Undoubtedly the highlight of the procession is this group representing Jesus Christ nailed to the cross while his mother Mary , his beloved apostle John and Mary Magdalene watch by his side . This episode is obviously present in all the processions on the islands. It features the same four figures as mentioned above in all the processions with the exception of the ones in Gozo's Cittadella and Nadur (picture right) which also features Longinus the Roman Centurion. He is traditionally considered to have pierced Jesus' side with a lance and later converted to Christianity. |
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25 but standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. 26When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, "Woman, behold, your son!" 27Then he said to the disciple, "Behold, your mother!" And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home."
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This is another unique statuary group which we find in Qala in Gozo. It is the thirteenth station from the Way of the Cross. It is recounted in the Gospels and according to Mark Chapter 15:
"And when evening had come, since it was the day of Preparation, that is, the day before the Sabbath, Joseph of Arimathea, a respected member of the Council, who was also himself looking for the kingdom of God, took courage and went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. 44Pilate was surprised to hear that he should have already died. And summoning the centurion, he asked him whether he was already dead. And when he learned from the centurion that he was dead, he granted the corpse to Joseph. And Joseph bought a linen shroud, and taking him down, wrapped him in the linen shroud..." |
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There are only two occurencies of this episode in Malta, found in Zejtun and in Qormi (pictured above). It can also be described as representing the 13th station of the Way of the Cross. Here we see the figure of the Holy Mary holding the dead body of her Son in her arms. This episode is not mention in the Canonical Gospels but is assumed to have happened as the Gospels describe Mary as being present during the crucifixion.
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The representation of the burial of Jesus is present in all procesions, albeit in different forms. The most common is, as seen in the picture above left, a monumental gilded wooden structure embellished with the finest materials. The picture to the right is the one seen at the Gozo Cathedral which represents the figures of Nikodemus, Joseph of Arimathea and St John as they carry Jesus to his tomb. A similar statuary group is found in Paola in Malta.
Matthew 27
"When it was evening, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who also was a disciple of Jesus. 58He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then Pilate ordered it to be given to him. 59And Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen shroud 60and(CH) laid it in his own new tomb,(CI) which he had cut in the rock. "
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This statue, present in all the processions around the island, marks the end of our pilgramage along the passion of Christ . The evangelist John, in his gospel tells us that Jesus's mother Mary was present beneath the cross at the crucifixion. This statue portrays the griefing Mother of God , sitting beneath the cross in great sorrow , moments after the body of Christ has been taken away for burial. This episode although assumed and not specifically recorded in the gospels, draws a great deal of reverance from the local Catholic faithful. Earlier examples of this episode featured Mary sitting down on a rock to the left with an angel on the opposite side holding the nails and crown of thorns in his hands. Later versions replaced the angel with the Apostle John. In Gozo, on the other hand, most processions have chosen the solitary figure of Our Lady to end the procession of the Passion of Our Lord. |
