An Economy for the Common Good

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 »

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 »

Lent Resource Pack – ‘Yahad’

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. In Lent, the Commission is publishing a Resource Pack with the aim of helping us reflect on the Scripture Readings which are proposed by the Church during this liturgical season, linked to the ‘Yahad’ reflection in our current social context… 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 »

‘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 »

‘Yahad’ presented to the Speaker of the House of Representatives

Daniel Darmanin (President of the Justice and Peace Commission), accompanied by Mark Cachia (Executive Official), presented the booklet ‘Yahad’ to Anġlu Farrugia, Speaker of the House of Representatives. During this courtesy call which took place on Friday 28th January at the Speaker’s parliamentary office in Valletta, the main points of this project were presented. The most urgent challenges in the political and social fields were also discussed… Read more »

Towards unity in society

The Justice and Peace Commission of the Archdiocese of Malta, launched a discussion document to encourage Maltese citizens to reflect on how, as a country, we can work to build peace, promote the common good in society and improve the well-being of people, especially that of the most vulnerable.

This document entitled ‘Yahad’ — a Hebrew term which refers to the concepts of togetherness and community — is divided into three sections… Read more »

Caring for Our Common Home

The church has often been criticized of not being on the ball in terms of ecology and the safeguard of our planet. Traditionally, environmentalists were viewed as focusing too much on worldly matters, disregarding the ultimate importance of eternity.

Yet, this has been changing, especially in light of Pope Francis’ encyclical Laudato Si. Taking care of this great gift we get to call ‘home’ is a duty of each and every Catholic and is becoming an ever more pressing issue as we witness the devastating effects of our anthropogenic activities… Read more »

Why should Catholics care about COP26?

The COP26 conference is currently being organized by the United Nations with the intention of gathering world leaders in Glasgow to discuss the impact of climate change and take the necessary decisions to mitigate the problem.

But why should Catholics care about all this?

During a meeting which was held at the Vatican in the beginning of October, Pope Francis, together with nearly 40 other religious leaders, declared that: “Future generations will never forgive us if we miss the opportunity to protect our common home… Read more »

Waste of food: A social and environmental sin.

World hunger is on the rise; yet, an estimated 1/3 of all food goes to waste. Each year 931 million tonnes of food waste is generated from households, retail establishments and the food service industry.

Let’s reduce food waste, not only for the sake of the food but for the resources that go into it. In fact, if food waste were a country, it would be the 3rd biggest source of greenhouse gas emissions

Wasted food isn’t just a social and humanitarian concern—it’s an environmental one… Read more »