Bid to help families enjoy economically sustainable life

Caritas, the Cana Movement, the Faculty of Economics and the Centre for Family Studies at the University were working on a project that could help Maltese families have an economically sustainable lifestyle, Caritas director Victor Grech said yesterday.

Through the project, which, he said, should materialise soon, families would be helped not to spend more than they earned – an existing problem in Malta – and be guided towards wise decisions even as regards family budgets.

He was addressing an event at Paola square yesterday afternoon to mark the feast of Christ the King. The event had the theme Ilqa’ L-Isfida: Ġib Il-Faqar Fix-Xejn (Take up the challenge: eradicate poverty).

Mgr Grech highlighted the economic and social disequilibrium that existed in the world despite the fact it had enough wealth for everyone.

“How do we explain that 220 million people do not have jobs or that millions earn $1 a day; that 15 million children die before the age of five due to lack of adequate nutrition and medical care; that 500,000 mothers die in childbirth?”

The United Nations Millennium Development Goals for 2010 had failed and Mgr Grech wondered whether the extension to the deadline to achieve the same anti-poverty aims would not be met again.

Bringing the issue closer to home, he said that, while the standard of living in Malta was relatively better than that of other countries and social benefits and other measures helped to avoid absolute poverty, studies had shown that some families did not have enough income to lead a decent life. Nevertheless, he believed in the capability of the Maltese to look after the common good and that both the government and the Church would shoulder their responsibility to eradicate poverty.

Social policy should be aimed at safeguarding the dignity and rights of everyone, especially the vulnerable, he said, adding the Church would continue to work with the government and describing the national social reform as a wise move.

During yesterday’s feast, the last one in the liturgical calendar before Advent, poverty in Malta was also highlighted through the addresses of social and voluntary workers and a dialogue between two persons that showed the incredulity and scepticism of one about the issue and the attempt to persuade it existed by the other.

In the light of the European Year for Combating Poverty and Social Exclusion, the situation in Malta was pointed out: 15 per cent of the population – 60,000 people – were living the crisis of poverty.

The social workers recounted the real poverty problem they encountered on a daily basis. Maria Sciberras, a member of a Diaconia commission, said an analysis of the type of poverty and where it was hidden was carried out to have a clear picture of the reality and it unearthed financial poverty due to mental illness and a lack of education – poverty that brings poverty.

The congregation, including President George Abela, Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi, Archbishop Paul Cremona and the Apostolic Nuncio, packed Antoine de Paule Square.

The parvis of the church, illuminated for the celebration of the first centenary of the foundation of the parish of Christ the King, was a stage for choir singing and ballet by The Dance Workshop.

In his message, Mgr Cremona appealed for Catholics to move closer to the “mission statement” of Jesus, going to its core, adopting it and opening up to the poor.

The celebration of the feast started on Friday, with adolescents meeting at the Qawra parish centre.

The Archbishop met children in an activity at De La Salle College in Cottonera on Saturday. A Christ the King celebration was also held at Gozo General Hospital car park yesterday, where Gozo Bishop Mario Grech delivered his message.