The Church needed to do some “soul-searching” after a murder in Ħal Far that was believed to be racially-motivated, Archbishop Charles Scicluna said on Thursday.

Two soldiers stand accused of killing Lassana Cisse Souleymane, 42, in a drive-by shooting last April. Another two men were also injured in the shooting. 

Speaking at the University on the fringes of an ‘open dialogue’ following the murder, Mgr Scicluna said the Church needed to see whether there had been “discourse that paints dark people as something dangerous”.

“We’re not about hatred, we’re about peace and brotherhood,” Mgr Scicluna said.

There were “historical narratives” the Church needed to re-visit, but a lot of work has been done on the ground to continue to support migrants in recent years, he said.

“We realised that hatred could be nurtured by people saying we need to defend the Christian heritage of Malta against foreign invasion,” Mgr Scicluna said. “I think that is a narrative which the Church should condemn vociferously,” he added.

The Church had recently undertaken several initiatives to continue to foster inclusion, he noted.

There is a sense of belonging that we need to share with our brothers

A parish recently invited people of colour within the parish on Maundy Thursday to take part in the ceremony of washing of the feet.

“The community was enthused with this idea because there is a sense of belonging that we need to share with our brothers,” he said, adding this was a beautiful example of fostering inclusion.

Mr Cisse, he said, had sought help from the Emigrants Commission with his papers. Unfortunately, he added, he had been rejected by the authorities.

“We gave him that label; our institutions and our legislation gave him that label. He was rejected. We are here because in the end he was physically eliminated,” he said.

“We need to be united to get our track record back and be more inclusive,” he said.

The Curia is also organising a “good neighbourhood dinner” with a group of young people from Malta, Africa and Asia.

An estimated 60 youths are expected to attend, half of whom will be migrants. The event will be held on June 11.

“Sitting together at the table and sharing the narratives of heritage, faith, culture because diversity is a gift and it is enriching,” Mgr Scicluna said. “It is not something we should fear, but welcome because it will make us stronger,” he added.

How to help

Anyone wishing to contribute to the Archbishop’s charity fund can do so on the following APS bank account:

Account Name: Archdiocese of Malta Charity Fund-Mgr Charles J. Scicluna

IBAN: MT53APSB77002000494820001626638

SWIFT / BIC Code: APSBMTMT

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