Archbishop’s appeal to teach children about moral values

The family needs to rediscover its role to educate children about values such as honesty, solidarity and generosity to ensure they are ingrained in future generations, Archbishop Paul Cremona said.

“When I speak to children I realise how environmentally conscious they are... Let’s do the same with other important values so that the future generation live according to them and create a better society,” he said in his New Year’s Day message.

He shared the message with the country’s top dignitaries, including President George Abela, Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi, Opposition Leader Joseph Muscat, Police Commissioner John Rizzo, members of Parliament, MEPs and members of the judiciary. Mgr Cremona was accompanied by Archbishop Emeritus Joseph Mercieca.

A number of people who called on the Bishops at the Archbishop’s Palace, Valletta, to exchange greetings commented on the absence of Auxiliary Bishop Annetto Depasquale who passed away on November 29.

Citing Pope Benedict XVI, Mgr Cremona spoke about the importance of educating young people in justice and peace.

He stressed on the values of human dignity and the family and spoke about how, during His lifetime, Jesus Christ cherished these values.

Jesus made His first miracle during the Cana wedding when he turned water into wine to save a newly-wedded couple from embarrassment. That, the Archbishop noted, showed Jesus’s love and respect for the family.

Mgr Cremona said that the role of the Church, through the family, was evangelisation while the role of the state, also through the family, was to educate people about values.