The Archbishop on Saturday urged new parliamentarians to overcome tribalism and put aside their differences as they start a new legislature.

Charles Scicluna was addressing mass at Valletta’s St John Co-Cathedral, ahead of parliament’s first sitting after the general election.

Throughout the homily, the Archbishop drew extensively from Pope Francis’ 2020 encyclical letter Fratelli Tutti, noting that charity was not limited to supporting people we know.

The Pope, Scicluna said, had also defined charity as working to change the social conditions that caused the suffering of strangers, adding that “political charity is also expressed in a spirit of openness to everyone”.

Scicluna paused to repeat this phrase, before adding: “I consider the Pope’s words as encouragement to us to overcome the tribal mentality - you and us, them and us. We may not accomplish this in one day.

"I hope that it will be accomplished in a century, but all of us, including myself, ought to work towards this in our daily lives here and now,” Scicluna told the congregation.

At the end of the homily he augured that MPs would help ensure that "Malta may continue to develop into an environment where we truly bear witness to respect and freedom, where we learn to live side by side despite our differences, and where our progress may truly be the promotion of the common good”.

PN leader Bernard Grech and PL's nomination for Speaker of the House Anglu Farrugia. Photo: Matthew Mirabelli

Recalling Pope's words about corruption

Taking a cue from the Pope’s visit to Malta last month, Scicluna, clad in red Pentecostal vesture, recalled Francis’ words at the Grand Master’s Palace.

During that first public speech in Malta, Francis had said the country must continue to fight corruption, foster honesty in politics and stop unbridled construction and land speculation. 

All major news organisations and newspapers had given prominence to this part of the pope’s speech except the Labour Party’s station One News and public broadcaster TVM. The Broadcasting Authority had later said it not feel the need to take any action over TVM’s complete omission of the pope’s comments on corruption.

On Saturday, Scicluna said the Pope had “reminded us of our country’s extraordinary heritage and asked us to truly be a laboratory of social justice, social peace and an example of sound social coexistence".

“Honesty, justice, a sense of duty and transparency are the essential pillars of a mature civil society. May your commitment to eliminate illegality and corruption be strong, like the north wind that sweeps the coasts of this country. May you always cultivate legality and transparency, which will enable the eradication of corruption and criminality, neither of which acts openly and in broad daylight”.

During his visit, the Pope, Scicluna added, had shared “extraordinary words” on the mission of politicians.

Again, he referred to Fratelli Tutti, in which Francis had said that seeking forms of social friendship required a decisive commitment and was not just a utopian dream.

“For many people today, politics is a distasteful word, often due to the mistakes, corruption and inefficiency of some politicians. There are also attempts to discredit politics, to replace it with economics or to twist it to one ideology or another. Yet can our world function without politics?” the Pope asked in that encyclical.

“Can there be an effective process of growth towards universal fraternity and social peace without a sound political life?’ Scicluna said, adding that Francis’ answer was in the negative.

We need politics and political parties made up of people with determination to act, Scicluna said.

Pope Francis, he added, talks of ‘healthy politics’ that are capable of reforming and coordinating institutions, promoting best practices and overcoming undue pressure and bureaucracy.

According to the Pope, one cannot rely on economics to do this, nor can one allow economics to take over the real power of the State, Scicluna warned.

"In a few words, who is governing - money, or the common good?" the Archbishop asked, going off-script. 

Archbishop Scicluna greeting Prime Minister Robert Abela. Photo: Matthew Mirabelli