“Governance based on spin, on obscure dealings, and on a constant reticence to allow public scrutiny, irrespective of the myriad laws and the solemn promises, is definitely not good governance," Archbishop Charles Scicluna said at the Independence Day pontifical mass this morning.

"Government based on the Orwellian disregard of the truth will one day implode, whereas transparency and accountability are the values that will make us Maltese truly and rightly proud of our government,” he added.

Government based on the Orwellian disregard of the truth will one day implode

Mgr Scicluna spoke on four values of governance of the state: unity, goodness, truthfulness, and beauty.

Focusing first on unity, he said that state government should first and foremost be based on the quest for national unity.

"Policies that are divisive, that are based on the privilege of the few or that blatantly promote loyalty to a political party rather than to the State, are a travesty and a mortal poison to the common good of society.

"Every citizen has the right to belong to the commonwealth of the State and to benefit from the services of government irrespective of who he or she is, under the rule of law as an expression of the common good. In other words, the fight against unjust discrimination is a fight for national unity".

On "goodness," Mgr Scicluna said moral life is summed up in the basic dictum: seek the good and avoid evil.  

"Political systems which purport to shy away from the moral demands of human existence, more often than not end up becoming monstrous caricatures of State government. When the common good is sacrificed to the selfish interests of the few, to a Pseudo-ethos based on the relentless quest for material gain at all costs, then we can say the State is sick," the archbishop said.

He added that it is not difficult to connect truthfulness to the other values of fairness, right judgement, and justice.

Policies that are divisive, that are based on the privilege of the few or that blatantly promote loyalty to a political party rather than to the State, are a travesty and a mortal poison to the common good of society.

"There is a primordial instinct in each and every one of us that teaches us that these human attitudes are in turn based on the truth: they are true to the facts. Governance based on spin, on obscure dealings, and on a constant reticence to allow public scrutiny, irrespective of the myriad laws and the solemn promises, is definitely not good governance.

"Government based on the Orwellian disregard of the truth will one day implode. Whereas transparency and accountability are the values that will make us Maltese truly and rightly proud of our government."

Turning to the value of "beauty" as an expression of the "beautiful" Mgr Scicluna said he did not know to what extent political science has studied the correlation between good governance and beauty.

"I am not referring to whether a politician should be a handsome guy or a stunning lady or not: although many say that it helps!," he said.

"Rather, my take on the subject may be summed up in the phrase: sapientia cordis - the wisdom of the heart. This concept combines an element of truth (wisdom) and an element of goodness (the heart): Truth and Goodness that lead to the wisdom of the heart.

"I am convinced that a citizen, educated, formed and trained in truth and goodness, will through time develop that wisdom of heart that promotes and safeguards beauty in the arts, in architecture, in the environment.

"And I would put this question to myself and to you today: is not the uglification of our natural and historical heritage a symptom of a lack of this wisdom of the heart? A government that continues to restore and protect our heritage, that will energetically defend the pristine cleanliness of our seas, that will only allow sustainable development: that is a government that takes beauty to heart, that expresses the nation's wisdom of the heart."

The congregation this morning included the acting president, the chief justice, the Speaker, the deputy prime minister, the leader of the opposition and MPs from both sides of the House.  (The President and the prime minister are abroad). Members of the diplomatic corps were also present. 

The Mass was followed by wreath laying at the Independence monument. Flowers were laid by Acting President Dolores Cristina, Deputy Prime Minister Louis Grech and Opposition leader Simon Busuttil. 

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