Archbishop Charles Scicluna yesterday announced the creation of a parish for the Eritrean and Ethiopian Catholic community in Malta, which is being provided with a place of worship in Floriana.

Speaking during Mass at the Bon Pastur chapel in Balzan, Mgr Scicluna said he was entrusting the Franciscan Capuchins with the new “personal parish”.

Similar to the existing parish for the English-speaking Catholics in Malta, a “personal parish” provides pastoral care for a group of Catholics based on, among others, their ethnicity, language, profession and liturgical characteristics.

The congregation, led by Fr Philip Cutajar OFM Cap, will be meeting for prayer at the chapel of Our Lady of Lourdes in Floriana.

Mgr Scicluna was celebrating the yearly Mass that marks the Church’s World Day of Migrants and Refugees. During the homily, he said that when people landed on Malta’s shores, society should not look at how much money they had or what their political affiliations were, but rather just see them as human beings deserving of respect and protection.

Earlier, when referring to the baptism of Jesus, he noted that as a human being, he had mingled with people no matter who they were and no matter what their colour was.

During Mass Mgr Scicluna, appealed for prayers for those who had to flee their country due to different circumstances, just as Maltese generations had to do in the past.

He also expressed the hope that just as they had welcomed St Paul, a shipwrecked prisoner, the Maltese would welcome refuge seekers who were willing to contribute to society.

The director of the Jesuit Centre for Faith and Justice, Fr Mark Cachia, Coptic priest Abouna Boulos Elsouriany and Mgr Philip Calleja and Mgr Alfred Vella from the Emigrants’ Commission were also present for the Mass.