Archbishop Paul Cremona spoke on the importance of solidarity, action against poverty and fair distribution of wealth when he delivered homily at Pontifical Mass marking Victory Day.
The Mass was held at Naxxar parish church yesterday. Acting President Dolores Cristina led the congregation.
Mgr Cremona said the Maltese were united in moments of peril such as the two great sieges.
"The unity of the people is the bedrock of a nation and for this reason,
every one is duty bound to fortify and sustain this unity at all times. At this present moment, the Mediterranean basin is experiencing many blood-stained conflicts. This should serve as an eye-opener for us. Together with Pope Francis, as we continue to appeal for ceasefire, we should set great store for the value of peace and national unity," he said.
The Maltese, he said, had learnt to appreciate the value of unity. Yet there was still room for national unity to be built upon the principles of justice, solidarity and subsidiarity.
"Justice demands that each and every person receives his due as a human person and as a citizen, irrespective of colour, race, gender, religious beliefs or political affiliation," he said.
Any form of privilege which may be granted, without any valid reason, to the
advantage of some people, went against the principles of social justice and only served to divide people.
The meaning of solidarity lay in the fact that the people were members of one
nation, a nation that always sought the common good for the benefit of all, from the highest to the lowest person.
"Therefore, we are to work together for our mutual benefit. We cannot allow people to lag behind," the Archbishop said.
"In a world which is progressing at a fast pace, it is easy for some people not to catch up with the development and as a result, fall behind. I wish to call to mind our commitment to fight poverty in our country. Today, we are all aware that around 15 percent of our population is at poverty-risk level. This means that there are many individuals, as well as entire families, who are suffering. At times, they are unable to purchase even their most basic needs to live a dignified life according to the national standard of living in our country. This percentage of people who are at the risk of poverty needs to be reduced."
Mgr Cremona said the high number of people who were illiterate was also of grave concern.
Turning to subsidiarity, the Archbishop said every form of development, including economic progress, cannot be achieved by those who are strong and powerful, to the detriment of those who are small, and as a result, vulnerable.
"In a country as small as ours, it is possible that our economy can grow in such a way that is not profitable for the holistic development of the country. If small and medium-sized enterprises are stifled by the so-called giants of economic development, this could be to the detriment of our country’s economy in the future. For this reason, I feel that we should encourage and strengthen small and medium-sized enterprises in our country.