Pope to Maltese: May you always cultivate legality and transparency, for the eradication of corruption and criminality

"Do not allow the dream of peace to fade" - Pope Francis urges end to war and open corruption, urges vigilance against radical consumerism

Pope Francis expressed hope that Malta remains strong in its commitment to eliminate illegality and corruption, likening this commitment to the “north wind that sweeps the coasts of this country.” The Pontiff was speaking during his meeting with the authorities, civil society and the diplomatic corps at the Grand Master’s Palace in Valletta, his first speaking engagement of his whirlwind visit. “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,” he said.

Urging unity, the Pope made reference to Malta’s national anthem,  which is a prayer written by Dun Karm Psaila. Citing a verse from L-Innu Malti, he said “‘Grant, Almighty God, wisdom to those who govern, strength to those who work, affirm unity among the Maltese people, and peace.’ “Peace follows unity and rises up from it. This reminds us of the importance of working together, of preferring cohesion to division, and of strengthening the shared roots and values that have forged Maltese society in its uniqueness.”

"May your committment to eliminate illegality and corruption be strong"

The Pope did not shy away from addressing Malta’s corruption problems in his speech, opting instead to tackle it head-on. “To ensure a sound social coexistence, however, it is not enough to strengthen the sense of belonging; there is a need to shore up the foundations of life in society, which rests on law and legality. Honesty, justice, a sense of duty and transparency are the essential pillars of a mature civil society,” said the Pope. “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.”

"Creation must be kept safe from rapacious greed, avarice and construction speculation, which compromises the very future."

Praising the island for the “luminous beauty of the landscape” the Pontiff said that “creation appears as the gift that, amid the trials of history and life, reminds us of the beauty of our life on earth. It must therefore be kept safe from rapacious greed, from avarice and from construction speculation, which compromises not only the landscape but the very future. Instead, the protection of the environment and the promotion of social justice prepare for the future, and are optimal ways to instil in young people a passion for a healthy politics and to shield them from the temptation to indifference and lack of commitment.”

Malta must stay in touch with its roots

He warned Malta against losing touch with its roots as it develops into a European country. “This European country, especially in its young people, shares western lifestyles and thinking. This brings great benefits – I think of the values of freedom and of democracy - but also risks, which call for vigilance lest the desire for progress be accompanied by detachment from your own roots.”

Describing Malta as “a splendid laboratory of organic development”, the Pope Francis pointed out that progress “does not mean cutting one’s roots with the past in the name of a false prosperity dictated by profit, by needs created by consumerism, to say nothing of the right to have any and every “right”.”

The basis of all solid growth is respect for the human person, respect for the life and dignity of every man and every woman, said the Holy Father, before, in one sentence diplomatically addressing the abortion debate, explotation of migrants and the abuse of the elderly. “I am aware of the commitment of the Maltese people to embracing and protecting life. Already in the Acts of the Apostles, the people of this island were known for saving many lives. I encourage you to continue to defend life from its beginning to its natural end, but also to protect it at every moment from being cast aside and deprived of care and concern. I think especially of the rightful dignity of workers, the elderly and sick.” 

He urged the young to be vigilant against the threats of radical consumerism, indifference to others and drug abuse. “And of those young people who risk squandering all the good they have within them by following mirages that leave only emptiness in their wake. These are the fruits of radical consumerism, indifference to the needs of others and the scourge of drugs, which suppresses freedom and creates dependence. Let us protect the beauty of life!”

"Migration cannot be tackled by isolating ourselves from those in need"

Moving on to the migration issue, a central theme of the Pope’s visit, Pope Frances argued that if the complexity of the migration issue is to be properly addressed, it “needs to be situated within a broader context of time and space” and not by isolating ourselves from those in need. 

“Time, in the sense that the migration phenomenon is not a temporary situation, but a sign of our times. It brings with it the burden of past injustice, exploitation, climatic changes and tragic conflicts, whose effects are now making themselves felt. From the poor and densely populated south, great numbers of people are moving to the wealthy north: this is a fact, and it cannot be ignored by adopting an anachronistic isolationism, which will not produce prosperity and integration. 

“From the standpoint of space, the growing migration emergency – here we can think of the refugees from war-torn Ukraine – calls for a broad-based and shared response. Some countries cannot respond to the entire problem, while others remain indifferent onlookers!” 

In a thinly-veiled reference to the human trafficking rings operating in the Mediterranean, who make fortunes by transporting economic migrants from Africa to Europe on unsafe boats, by dangling false hopes of well-paid work, the Pope said “civilized countries cannot approve for their own interest sordid agreements with criminals who enslave other human beings. The Mediterranean needs co-responsibility on the part of Europe, in order to become a new theatre of solidarity and not the harbinger of a tragic shipwreck of civilization.”

“Paul was a man, a man in need of assistance. Humanity is first and foremost: that is the lesson taught by this country whose history was blessed by the arrival of the shipwrecked apostle. In the name of the Gospel that Paul lived and preached, let us open our hearts and rediscover the beauty of serving our neighbours in need. 

“Today, when those who cross the Mediterranean in search of salvation are met with fear and the narrative of “invasion”, and safeguarding one’s own security at any price seems to be the primary goal, let us help one another not to view the migrant as a threat and not to yield to the temptation of raising drawbridges and erecting walls.”

“Other people are not a virus from which we need to be protected, but persons to be accepted.”

"Let us not allow the dream of hope to fade"

The Russian invasion of Ukraine was also touched upon by the Pope’s speech, in which he urged humanity not to allow the dream of peace to fade. 

“We had thought that invasions of other countries, savage street fighting and atomic threats were grim memories of a distant past. However, the icy winds of war, which bring only death, destruction and hatred in their wake, have swept down powerfully upon the lives of many people and affected us all. Once again, some potentate, sadly caught up in anachronistic claims of nationalist interests, is provoking and fomenting conflicts, whereas ordinary people sense the need to build a future that, will either shared, or not be at all. Now in the night of the war that is fallen upon humanity, let us not allow the dream of peace to fade!”

Pope Francis warned against the rise of autocracy, stressing the need for a “human moderation” before what he referred to as “the infantile and destructive aggression that threatens us.”  

This moderation was also needed in the face of the risk of an “enlarged Cold War” that can stifle the life of entire peoples and generations, he said. “That “childishness”, sadly, has not disappeared. It has reemerged powerfully in the seductions of autocracy, new forms of imperialism, widespread aggressiveness, and the inability to build bridges and start from the poorest in our midst. It is from there that cold wind of war begins to blow, and this time it has been encouraged over the years. War has in fact been prepared for some time by great investments in weaponry and a massive trade in arms. It is distressing to see how the enthusiasm for peace, which emerged after the Second World War, has faded in these recent decades, as has the progress of the international community, with a few powers who go ahead on their own account, seeking spaces and zones of influence.”

“The solution to the crisis of each is care for those of all,” said the Pope, “since global problems require global solutions.” 

He urged the people of the world to help one another to sense people’s yearning for peace. “Let us work to lay the foundations of an ever more expanded dialogue. Let us go back to gathering in international peace conferences, where the theme of disarmament will have a central place, where our thoughts will turn to future generations! And where the enormous funds that continue to be destined to weaponry may be diverted to development, health care and nutrition.”

Looking once more to the east, the Pope devoted a final thought to the nearby Middle East, pointing out the linguistic similarity with Maltese “as if to recall the capacity of the Maltese people to generate beneficial forms of coexistence in a sort of conviviality of differences. This is what the Middle East needs: Lebanon, Syria, Yemen, and other contexts torn by problems and violence.” 

“May Malta, the heart of the Mediterranean, continue to foster the heartbeat of hope, care for life, acceptance of others, yearning for peace, with the help of the God whose name is peace. God bless Malta and Gozo!”