Opinion

A dignified life through work

In recent years, Malta has been hailed as a success story when it comes to employment opportunities. And yet, work is much more than an activity which generates wealth and guarantees a source of income. It is an integral part of our wellbeing and has a decisive influence on the quality of life of individuals and families. As such, we are duty-bound to go beyond the headline numbers and analyse in more detail the following challenges which hinder workers and their families from leading a dignified life through work:

– An alarming increase in in-work poverty. The proportion of working people who earn less than 60% of the national median income has increased from 5.2% in 2012 to 7.4% in 2020… Read more »

Right and duty: the importance of voting

As we prepare to elect a new government on the 26th of March, it would be hard to find a more challenging message about Politics than the one offered by Pope Francis who invites good Catholics to meddle in politics: “You can’t watch from the balcony! Get involved!”. “Politics, according to the Social Doctrine of the Church, is one of the highest forms of charity, because it serves the common good… Read more »

Messy but urgent work

Malta’s recent history has, in more ways than one, been a success story. And yet, the price which has been paid for this success is indeed high. Apart from those who have paid with their lives, divisions and lack of peace abound on this little island nation of ours. As we prepare to elect a new government in the next few months, we can expect partisan pique and polarisation, ever-present in our society, to reach fever pitch, despite the several calls along the years for a process of national reconciliation and unity

Last month, the Justice & Peace Commission within the Archdiocese of Malta launched a document called Yahad, a term in Hebrew which conveys the sense of togetherness and community and which represents the Commission’s vision for Maltese society… Read more »

Desmond Tutu: A prophet of reconciliation

A few days ago, Desmond Tutu, the former Anglican archbishop of Cape Town, South Africa, who rallied the world behind the anti-apartheid struggle in a way that made him a prophet of reconciliation of our times, died at the age of 90.

Tributes flowed in from all over the world to recognize the many qualities of a man who never stopped practicing the forgiveness he preached… Read more »

Deaths in prison

A few weeks ago, the country woke up to the news of another death in prison. This was the 14th death in Malta’s Corradino Correctional Facility since the beginning of 2018. An inquiry has been set up to unearth all the facts, reasons and dynamics which lie behind this disturbing and alarming statistic. And yet, the inmates, their families and the whole country can no longer afford to wait any longer before everyone concerned starts pulling the same rope to ensure that prison is a safe place and truly an institution which places reformation and rehabilitation at its heart, and where the dignity of all is respected… Read more »

An Option that’s not Optional: The Preferential Option for the Poor

One of the major themes in Catholic social teaching in recent decades has been the preferential option for the poor. The phrase was first used in the late 60s by the then superior general of the Jesuits, Father Pedro Arrupe, in a letter to his order. The term was later picked up by the Catholic bishops of Latin America, who emphasized the use of option as a verb rather than as a noun, before becoming one of the main principles which guides the reflection and action of Christians in today’s world… Read more »

Hopelessness is contagious. But so is hope.

When asked which part of the world they would rather live in, only around 27% of youths interviewed in a recent survey chose Malta.

In the upcoming General Election, 16-year-olds will for the first time have the right to vote. And yet, this same cohort is telling us that they would rather vote with their feet – by leaving the country – than at the polling booth… Read more »

A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho

Leaving him half dead: In the parable of the Good Samaritan, the robbers who beat up the man and left him half dead, remain unknown, unnamed. The person who allegedly dumped Lamin on the side of the road on Selmun road in Mellieħa like a bag of disposable waste has already been identified and will face justice.

——————–

The wheel of injustice: Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the German Theologian who courageously stood up against Nazi oppression once said that “we are not to simply bandage the wounds of victims beneath the wheels of injustice, we are to drive a spoke into the wheel itself”… Read more »

Seeing the truth, beyond our inconsistencies

It has often been said that Church should sell all its riches and use that money to feed the poor and do something for the wellbeing of society.

In fact, this week, a controversy has erupted precisely because the Church decided to dispose of a plot of land which had been sitting on its balance sheet for ages, making it look rich, but without serving any social purpose… Read more »

To see or not to see

On Sunday 27th of September, the worldwide Church celebrates the World Day of Migrants and Refugees. The horizon towards which we are invited to journey is that of “an ever wider we” in which we are mutually enriched by diversity and by cultural exchanges and in which the Church widens her tent to embrace everyone. However, by explicitly linking this dream of a more inclusive society with the care for our common home, Pope Francis is also warning us that the minute we try separating what is intrinsically linked, this dream can very quickly turn into a nightmare… Read more »