Bishop urges honesty and integrity ahead of Parliament's opening

"Build the country wisely, upon rock and not upon sand," Auxiliary Bishop Joseph Galea-Curmi has said, urging the members of the 15th Legislature at the Mass marking the opening of parliament on Saturday.

He said that every human authority, however important, remains limited if it is not helped by the Lord, enlightened by wisdom, guided by truth, and inspired by a sincere commitment to the common good.

"Integrity is the consistency between what one says and what one does. It is the courage to do what is right, even when it is unpopular," the bishop said. "A nation is strengthened when it is led by women and men of character, whose decisions are guided by what is right, not by convenience."

He prayed for governance guided by honesty, integrity and accountability, warning that public life cannot flourish where deceit is tolerated or where personal interest takes precedence over the common good. 

He also prayed for a renewed commitment to justice, describing it not only as the proper enforcement of laws but also as the effort to ensure that every person receives what is due to them. A just society, he said, protects workers, supports families, embraces those who suffer, and ensures that economic progress benefits the whole community. 

Members of parliament gathered in Valletta to celebrate Mass honouring the opening of the 15th legislature since independence, which formally kicks off today (Photo: CURIA)

He called for unity built on patient dialogue and mutual respect, urging everyone to show esteem for one another and never to indulge in verbal violence.

Turning to the environment, he said the country must be a faithful steward of creation, calling its protection both a responsibility and a moral urgency, and warning against the temptation of immediate profit and destruction disguised as development. 

He singled out the protection of human life as the responsibility that touches the foundation on which all other rights rest, pointing to the words addressed by Pope Leo XIV to the Spanish Parliament on 8 June 2026.

"If life ceases to be recognised as a fundamental value, what future can our societies have?" the Pope said. "The defence of human life is neither a partisan issue nor a confessional interest: it is a goal of civilisation. Every human life must be recognised and safeguarded from conception to its natural end, in every circumstance of its existence."

Reflecting on these words, Galea-Curmi said matters of life and death cannot depend on the popular consensus of a particular moment, and that human dignity does not derive from public approval, nor depend on a person's age, health or usefulness. 

As the new Parliament began its work, the bishop prayed that its members may be of strong character and guided by wisdom, so that integrity may triumph over corruption, truth over falsehood, and dialogue over division (Photo: CURIA)

A truly humane society, he said, is measured not by the comfort of the strong but by the protection it offers the weak. 

Those who make laws carry a great moral burden, he added, because laws express what a society considers valuable and every law must be measured by how far it protects the dignity of the human person.

As the new parliament began its work, the bishop prayed that its members may be of strong character and guided by wisdom, so that integrity may triumph over corruption, truth over falsehood, and dialogue over division, ending with the words: "Come, Holy Spirit, enlighten our minds, purify our intentions, strengthen our hearts, and renew our country.