The level of “racism, intolerance and animosity” in comments on immigration was more than frightening and shocked Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi.
Speaking this evening during a seminar organised by the Pro Pontefice Centesimus Annus Foundation on the encyclical Caritatis in Veritate, Dr Gonzi said the problem of immigration could only be solved through strong international cooperation.
Malta was working within the European Union and United Nations institutions for an international solution to be found.
Like the Pope in this encyclical, Malta always insisted that every immigrant had fundamental rights which should be respected by all in every circumstance.
Dr Gonzi said that whenever he read comments on the subject, he always asked what had happened to the values of love and hospitality towards those suffering, which had built up this country.
In saying so, the Prime Minister said, he did not want to seem that he was mitigating the extent of the problem for Malta.
EU assistance could help the country mitigate the financial burden and the social burden could be eased through education.
Civil society, led by the Church, should help the people understand these people, who came from different cultures, better.
The problem, he said, would become more burdensome if it was transformed into a political ball.
The Prime Minister also touched on other issues including family and bioethics.
Both, he said, were fundamental to society and were becoming more complex.
The government believed in the value of the family and that it was its duty to safeguard and strengthen it. It also believed that marriage was the best foundation. However, there were marriages that failed and people who chose to build a family outside marriage. What should the government do when faced with such a reality? How should it safeguard the rights of the vulnerable in such situations?
The government, Dr Gonzi said, also believed in protecting human life as from conception. On the other hand, technology was developing and everything was becoming permissible because of lack of legislation. So it set up a parliamentary committee on assisted procreation.
The solution was not easy but it was not right to avoid current realities.
Dr Gonzi appealed to the foundation organising the seminar and others to commission technical studies on how aspects of Maltese society and its social and economical structures could be inspired by the encyclical being discussed.
These studies should bring together the vision of man’s complete development and the country’s situation.
They would provide an important voice to society and serve for the Church social teachings not to remain hidden, he said.