Archbishop calls out government for refusing safe port to migrants

Archbishop Charles J. Scicluna called out the authorities for refusing to allow migrants a safe port of entry in his Christmas message. 

“If the baby of Bethlehem, was refused a place in the inn on this holy night, how can we do the same with those who knock on our shore?” he said. “How can we tell them that we are full up and that we have no place for them? Is it really possible that we have no place, or is there no place in our hearts in reality?”

Scicluna was speaking about a group of around 25 migrants who are stranded in Malta’s search and rescue zone. The Church has called on government to allow them a port of safety, saying it will host migrants stranded on board the NGO rescue vessel.

He also greeted “those people who perhaps we do not give much thought to” such as prisoners, hospital patients and the elderly. 

“Our thoughts go to those who may have become victims of an addiction, and who are searching for joy in something that will crush them instead of build them. They are also members of our family. We need to be close to them and work on caring for one another so that Malta may truly become a place of shelter for those who live here,” he said. 

Scicluna called for the better protection of Malta’s environment. “We need to take care of the environment that is so essential for us to have the healthy and beneficial honey we are so proud of.”

“Whilst wishing every one of us a Blessed Christmas, I wish to thank all those who try in every way to promote our welcoming culture, a culture of kindness,” Scicluna concluded.