The motorists reportedly drank beer and stole the communion bread and wine to distribute them among their friends during last year’s ceremony on the Simplon Pass.
As a result of the their actions, the priest is refusing to celebrate the Mass this year.
According to the daily Corriere del Ticino, the local motorcycle club has tried to contact other priests unsuccessfully, before turning directly to the Sion Bishop, identified as Mons. Norbert Brunner. The Bishop reportedly opted for a simple liturgy without Communion, said the report.
The blessing of the bikes is a 25-year-old tradition celebrated every year on May 1st which gathers several hundreds participants, the paper said.