News

3rd European Catholic Social Days

Following the days held in Gdansk (2009) and in Madrid (2014), the third edition of the European Catholic Social Days – entitled “Europe after the pandemic – towards a new beginning” – was held in Bratislava from the 17th till the 20th of March. This meeting gathered hundreds of delegates of the Bishops’ Conferences to discuss about the most pressuring social challenges in Europe and reflect on the demographic, technological and ecological transition processes taking place in European societies… Read more »

Dialogue sessions in preparation for Pope Francis’ visit

Ilkoll Aħwa (One Family) is the theme chosen for events being organised by the Church in Malta as the country prepares spiritually to welcome Pope Francis on the 2nd and 3rd April. Over the next few weeks, the theme of the Apostolic Visit, “They showed us unusual kindness” (Acts 28:2), shall be complemented by a deep reflection to encourage Maltese society to reflect on how all of us who live on these islands are called to care and protect one another as blood relatives do… Read more »

Forging a new culture of peace – A strategy for Europe

Surveying global affairs today may leave us with a sense of disorientation, unpredictability or even fear. European nations are confronted and challenged on the global stage with fragile trust in international legal frameworks and multilateral mechanisms, even if seeds of hope seem to be emerging with the revival of the transatlantic partnership. The Conference of European Justice and Peace Commissions, composed of more than thirty national commissions is convinced that the way forward for Europe as a whole is to be found in the development of a new culture of peace… Read more »

The situation in Ukraine

After the brutal invasion of Ukraine by Russian troops on 24 February 2022,

  • we condemn the Russian aggression as a serious violation to international law and as a threat to peace in Europe,
  • we express our support and solidarity with Ukraine and its suffering people,
  • we request all European governments to support the neighbouring countries of Ukraine in their efforts to welcome and accommodate refugees,
  • we ask the European Union, its member states and all European governments to stay united and to put in place an even harsher sanctions regime against the Russian authorities,
  • we admire the courage of Russian citizens who despite all sorts of repressions bravely take to the streets to protest against their government in the name of peace,
  • we implore His Holiness Patriarch Kirill and all Orthodox authorities in Russia to intervene with the political leadership in order to obtain an immediate ceasefire and the withdrawal of all Russian troops from the Ukraine territory,
  • we support the call of Pope Francis for a day of fast and prayer for peace in Ukraine on Ash Wednesday (2 March),
  • we hope and work for a new culture of peace in Europe, remembering in our prayers all civilian and military victims and their families…

    • Read more »

‘Yahad’ presented to the Leader of the Opposition

During a courtesy call, the President of the Justice and Peace Commission, perit Daniel Darmanin, presented the booklet Yahad to the Leader of the Opposition and Nationalist Party leader Bernard Grech.

During this meeting which took place on Wednesday 16th February at the headquarters of the Nationalist Party in Pietà, Mr Darmanin explained that the journey of Yahad begins by listening to the voices of the victims of injustice… Read more »

Draw the right lessons from the pandemic now, save millions of lives

In a joint statement, the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM) and Justice and Peace Europe call on the European Union (EU), the African Union (AU) and their member states to strengthen their commitment to equitable global vaccine supply and global health issues ahead of the joint AU-EU Summit.

Bishop Noël Treanor, president of Justice and Peace Europe, notes that the consequences of the pandemic are hitting particularly hard those who were already struggling before the pandemic: “Refugees and homeless people, often living in precarious conditions, live in constant fear of infection and are even more isolated than before… Read more »

Baħar ċimiterju

The Mediterranean remains one of the deadliest migratory routes, with thousands perishing every year. Time and time again, we witness the Maltese authorities absconding on their duties to rescue desperate people seeking asylum in our search and rescue zone.

Together with people across the world, we strongly denounce the deadly violence of the world’s border regimes, and call on the responsible authorities, to respect human rights, international law, law and the 1951 Geneva Refugee Convention, and to act humanely to prevent deaths and disappearances from happening… Read more »

Hundreds take part in ‘Learning Human Stories’ outreach sessions

Hundreds of people, from all walks of life, have had the opportunity to encounter asylum seekers who found themselves seeking protection in Malta, thanks to the latest outreach programme Learning Human Stories.

These sessions, organized by JRS Malta in collaboration with SOS Malta and Justice and Peace Commission, provided the general public a chance to speak, listen and ask questions on migration, and more importantly, get an answer directly from the asylum seekers themselves… Read more »

Called to Care: New resource for educators #YahadMT

In Yahad, the Justice and Peace Commission reflects on the wounds of our society, before proposing a number of tools from Catholic Social Teaching which can help us build a more just and reconciled society.

In order to bring this reflection to different groups of people, a number of resources based on ‘Yahad’ are being prepared. ‘Called to care: Why politics is not just someone else’s problem’ is the first Yahad resource which is being made available… Read more »

‘Yahad’ presented to President George Vella

The Justice and Peace Commission, within the Archdiocese of Malta, presented the document ‘Yahad’ to George Vella, President of Malta.

During a courtesy call which took place on Tuesday 1st February at San Anton Palace, Daniel Darmanin, president of the Commission, explained that the Church wishes to offer its contribution to the process of national unity and reconciliation that the President himself is promoting in various ways… Read more »