‘Church not afraid of religious inclusion in its schools,’ archbishop insists

The Church and its schools are not afraid of religious inclusion and Church schools should therefore be open to students of all faiths, Archbishop Charles J. Scicluna reiterated today.

In his closing comments at the end of an event commemorating Archbishop Joseph Mercieca on the first anniversary since his death, Scicluna said that Church schools should respect the religious freedom of all parents, irrespective of the religion.

“We are not afraid of religious inclusion,” he said. “We are all brothers, called to co-exist in peace and harmony.”

Scicluna said that as Maltese are starting to consider themselves citizens of Europe and the world at large, people should also see the image of God in all human beings, including those of a different race and religion.

On Mercieca, Scicluna said all Maltese had a duty to keep the memory of the late archbishop alive to ensure his legacy lived on.

"The prophetic words of Mons. Mercieca ten years ago are extremely topical today,” he said. “They challenge the Church to remain faithful to the values of the holy sacrament of marriage without erecting barriers that will exclude some individuals."

Scicluna said that many of the sentiments carried in recent papal documents, including Amoris Laetitiae, were reflected in Mercieca’s words and behaviour during his bishopric.

“Joseph Mercieca always felt the need to close to the people,” Scicluna said. “That he managed to do just that is a testament to his character and values.”