Archbishop Charles Scicluna called for sound judgement, mercy, health, unity, and peace as he based his Christmas message on Dun Karm's prayer in the national anthem.

He prayed for sound judgement and wisdom to characterise the decisions and governing style "of those who lead society with legitimate authority".

Mercy, the Archbishop said, must be extended to the 20 per cent of the population who “came here to work and build a new life. We need to show mercy and solidarity towards our brethren, regardless of their origins."

He also called for mercy towards God’s creation.

“Let us care for creation, ensuring the protection of the future generations yet to be born. By caring for the environment, for creation, and preserving our beautiful heritage, we show mercy not only to ourselves but also to our children and our children’s children,” he said.

As for health, he said this encompassed not only physical but also mental, psychological, and spiritual health.

“It is the kind of health referred to in English as overall well-being, and it is the health that secures the future of our country.”

Scicluna said that when he prayed to God for the gift of health, he interpreted it to also to mean that “He will bless our society with the gift of children. Malta’s future depends on our continued cherishing of the gift of children.”

He noted that the number of babies being born has decreased significantly, pointing out that this did not depend only on God’s gift, but also on a great sense of hope and love “that I invite our couples to live with generosity and deep commitment”.

Children, Archbishop Scicluna said, are a blessing and contribute to the health of a country and its future.

“As we celebrate the birth of a baby, I pray that on Malta’s important anniversaries - the 60th anniversary as a sovereign state and the 50th anniversary as a Republic - we will also be blessed with new offspring, more children, and new generations of Maltese and Gozitan citizens.”

As for unity and peace, he said these are fostered by respect towards each other, verbally and through actions.

“I pray that these five blessings, which Dun Karm prayed for in the Maltese national anthem for our country, will be blessings that we actively work toward and welcome as a great gift from God. In doing so, we realise that perhaps we cannot achieve these alone but can do so together and with the help of God,” Scicluna said.

At the beginning of his message, he also solicited prayers for peace and asked for mourning for “the thousands of victims of man’s cruelty. It is as though Herod is still with us, waiting in ambush in the heart of every person.

“We wish to show our solidarity with Israel and Palestine. We pray that, through the grace of this holy Christmas Day in the year 2023, God will soften the hardness of human hearts,” he said.