Nationalistic and Islamophobic rhetoric has “no philosophical or theological basis in Christian tradition,” the Church in Malta said on Thursday, calling on all Catholics to resist politics of hate and exclusion.

The Church’s Justice and Peace Commission said in a statement it felt the need to speak out over the rise in “confrontational nationalism” that represents outsiders as a social, economic and religious menace.

The commission referred an increase in support for far-right movements, some of which base their arguments on the need to protect a ‘Catholic identity’ as well as recent statements by Guardian for Future Generations Maurice Mizzi, who justified his call to exclude migrants and Muslims in particular by invoking his desire to live and die in a Catholic country.

“On the contrary, Christian tradition helps shape a counter-narrative based on solidarity and hospitality as well as on our common humanity and dignity,” the commission said.

“Moreover, the principle of the common good, as formulated in Catholic social teaching, fundamentally challenges a culture that prioritises personal interest over solidarity with the weak and marginalised, or narrow national interest over global concern.

“Whilst it might be tempting to believe that good fences make good neighbours, history teaches us that those who build walls will become prisoners of the walls they put up.”

In recent years, it said, Pope Francis had shown what it meant to foster a culture of encounter and solidarity to counter fear and exclusion, including visiting Lampedusa, travelling back to the Vatican with a group of asylum-seekers from Lesbos, and washing the feet of a group of Muslim men and women.

The commission said Pope Francis had made clear that migrants were not a threat to the culture, customs and values of a receiving nation, and that duty of Christians towards migrants could be articulated around four verbs: welcome, protect, promote and integrate.