[WATCH] Archbishop pays tribute to COVID-19 victims during Remembrance Day homily

Archbishop Charles Scicluna payed his respects to war victims, including victims of the COVID-19 pandemic, during his Remembrance Day homily, briefly emphasising the need for compassionate political leadership.

"Political compassion means that, whoever we are, we work towards solidarity between countries, justice, and real peace. In the context of the pandemic, we need to be responsible and work to have fewer victims, not more," he said. 

Scicluna alluded to Malta's suffering during the world wars, saying "who today possesses political leadership ought to remember how decisions made in the past, outside of Malta, had serious consequences that we still suffered from.

"We pray for the victims who, during those wars, defended us and ended up victims themselves. We must commit ourselves to leave the world better off than we found it."

The archbishop cautioned against falling into the trap of forgetting past injustices, calling it our duty to remember such grievances. "Without memory we can never move forward. We can't grow without complete memory. We need to keep alive the flame of collective consciousness," he advised. 

Scicluna further warned against the ruin that comes with warmongering. "May we spend the same amount of money on education, health services, and environmental care, that we spend on arms-dealing. What a better world we would live in."

The mass was celebrated at St. John's Co-Cathedral as part of Remembrance Day activities.