Updated at 1.25pm with Independence Day celebrations

European countries should join in sharing the burden of migrants coming to our shores, Archbishop Charles Scicluna said.

Addressing the congregation during Mass to commemorate Independence Day, Mgr Scicluna warned that a crisis in solidarity would shake the very foundations on which the European Union is built.

He insisted that many populations around Europe seemed to ascribe more value to the individual and national interest over the common interest of the "family of nations".

It was right that the Maltese government appealed to the principle of solidarity with other member states, but the country also needed to commit to show solidarity with those in need, he noted.

Referencing Pope Francis, Mgr Scicluna said solidarity ensured the "burden of one is shared with others just as wealth is shared by everyone".

"When the economy is doing well, solidarity becomes easier. But we also acknowledge that the poor are always with us and the new types of poverty demand of us new expressions of solidarity,” he said.

In a hidden reference to Thursday's PA approval of db Group’s project, Mgr Scicluna said solidarity also meant making wise decisions that impact future generations.

"Among these decisions are those that have an impact on the environmental heritage of our country, on the cultural, historical, architectural and archaeological legacy of this gracious land," he said.

"Every decision we take today will shape our quality of life but it will also shape, for better or for worse, the quality of life of future generations," Mgr Scicluna concluded.

Following the Mass at St John's Co-Cathedral, the Independence Day celebrations continued with the laying of wreaths at the Floriana monument by President Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca, Prime Minister Joseph Muscat, and Leader of the Opposition Adrian Delia.