Malta’s bishops have urged politicians to speak respectfully and hear out their opponents in the run-up to June’s local council and European Parliament elections.
In a pastoral letter for Lent, Archbishop Charles Scicluna, Gozo Bishop Anton Teuma and Auxiliary Bishop Joseph Galea-Curmi noted that Malta must “urgently rediscover the art of respectful dialogue”.
“Sometimes, we tend to prefer people who drown out the voices of others through verbal attacks, ridicule and hurtful language. Yet the quality of political debate is invariably poorer when we engage with each other in this manner. With such negative attitudes, the common good can never be served and we will certainly never achieve unity,” the bishops said.
“As the country gears up for local council and European Parliament elections, we encourage all who are involved in public and political life not to shy away from courageously choosing to listen humbly and engaging in respectful dialogue.”
The pastoral letter, which will be read out in churches across the country this week, drew inspiration from the national anthem penned by Dun Karm Psaila and the five values its lyrics encourage: sound judgement, mercy, health, unity and peace.
Bishops noted that wisdom means setting aside self-interest in decision making and taking decisions that keep everyone in mind.
“We need these types of leaders and citizens for our fine words regarding sustainability and inclusion to mean anything,” they said.
People must also be merciful, they said, looking for that which they share with others “rather than judging, condemning, and destroying others on media and social media.”
They encouraged Christians to confess their sins during Lent, allowing them to “encounter the source of mercy.”
Bishops noted that health encompasses all its forms – physical, mental and spiritual. Christians must make room for Jesus in their hearts, so that they can be healed, they said.
Bishops also noted that people can do their bit to help heal those around them.
“There may be a colleague going through a tough time; a neighbour whose health has deteriorated; and a mother or father who have lost their job. Stopping to notice, listen, speak to and accompany someone who is suffering could be the greatest gift of charity during this period of Lent,” they said.
Bishops concluded by urging Catholics to take heart, despite the violence in conflicts in the world today.
“Nations’ leaders are the ones endowed with the power and responsibility to stop this absurd destruction,” they said. “Nevertheless, we are also called to be bringers of peace. Peace or violence between us depend on the decisions—big or small—that we take each day. Peace is the fruit of good, responsible decisions. When we ignore truth and justice, when we think we are always right, and when success and money become our idols, we sow the seed of violence.”