Messaġġ tal-Arċisqof Charles J. Scicluna għall-Milied 2024
Messaġġ tal-Arċisqof Charles J. Scicluna għall-Milied 2024
Nawgura l‑Milied it‑tajjeb lil kull min qiegħed isegwini u jismagħni. Din is‑sena ddeċidejt li l‑messaġġ tal‑Milied ngħaddih minn dan il‑post għażiż, minn Hospice Malta; tradizzjonalment nafuh ukoll bħala l‑Istitut Cini. X’kien ifisser għall‑Maltin u l‑Għawdxin dan l‑ambjent?
L‑Istitut Cini beda proprju bħala fabbrika li kienet tipproduċi l‑ikel. Il‑familja Cini, hawnhekk kellha l‑fabbrika tal‑għaġin. Adelaide Cini, fis‑seklu 19, użat il‑fabbrika tal‑familja tagħha biex tilqa’ tfajliet li kellhom bżonn il‑protezzjoni u d‑dinjità. Fl‑imgħoddi, dan il‑post ukoll ra t‑twelid ta’ diversi ġenerazzjonijiet. Hawnhekk, bdiet il‑ħajja għal tant nies.
Illum qegħdin niċċelebraw il‑fatt li Hospice Malta, li twassal lil diversi minn ħutna għall‑ħajja li ma tispiċċa qatt, qiegħda topera minn hawnhekk.
Tgħiduli, għaliex għażilt dan il‑post, proprju fil‑jum tal‑Milied? Il‑Milied mhux biss jiċċelebra t‑twelid imma jiċċelebra l‑ħajja li ma tispiċċa qatt. Jiena nawgura li dan il‑Milied ngħożżuh bħala tarġa oħra u mument ieħor fil‑mixja tagħna lejn ħajja sabiħa, ħajja li ngħixuha b’impenn waqt li għadna fid‑dinja; imma li nitħejjew minn issa għall‑ħajja ta’ dejjem.
Wara kollox, it‑tarbija li qiegħda titwieled f’dan il‑lejl qaddis, u li qegħdin niċċelebraw f’dawn il‑jiem għeżież, hija tarbija li m’għandhiex is‑saltna ta’ din id‑dinja, imma toffrilna l‑ħajja ta’ dejjem. Il‑ħajja ta’ dejjem tibda minn hawn, bl‑istedina li “aħna ngħixu bla tebgħa fl‑imħabba” (Ef 1:4). L‑istedina tat‑tarbija ta’ Betlehem, ta’ Ġesù ta’ Nazaret, hija li aħna ngħixu l‑ħajja tagħna fil‑milja kollha tagħha.
Dan il‑Milied, wara li ċċelebrajna bħala familja l‑50 anniversarju ta’ Malta Repubblika, nixtieq insostni u ntenni l‑appell tiegħi sabiex aħna l‑Maltin u l‑Għawdxin nitbierku bit‑twelid tal‑ulied. Nieħdu ħsieb li nagħmlu esperjenza ta’ tama għaż‑żgħażagħ tagħna; nibnu kultura ta’ tama għall‑futur u għall‑ġenerazzjonijiet li ġejjin biex fihom ikollna l‑barka tal‑ulied.
Illum, waqt li qegħdin niċċelebraw il‑barka tat‑twelid ta’ tarbija, ejjew nibqgħu napprezzaw il‑valur li ġġib tarbija lis‑soċjetà. M’għandniex għalfejn nibqgħu biss nitbikkmu, jew inkella nsewdu qalbna, għaliex għandna l‑primat fl‑Ewropa tal‑inqas twelid fil‑popolazzjoni tagħna. Hemm bżonn li nieħdu passi konkreti, kulħadd skont ir‑responsabbiltà tiegħu, biex noħolqu l‑ambjent favorevoli biex il‑koppji żgħażagħ jimtlew bit‑tama, jibnu l‑bejta tal‑imħabba tagħhom, u din timtela bil‑barka tal‑ulied.
Tgħiduli, hawn min din il‑barka ma jistax jgħixha. Jiena nsellem lil dawk il‑koppji li jagħżlu l‑adozzjoni u l‑fostering; imma wkoll nixtieq nirrikonoxxi dak kollu li tagħmel is‑soċjetà biex noħolqu ambjenti u ċirkustanzi fejn min jixtieq li jkollu l‑ulied, ikollu l‑faċilitazzjoni, imma wkoll it‑tama li jitwieldu l‑ulied ġodda għal din il‑pajjiż.
Illum qiegħed ukoll f’post, f’St Michael Hospice, fejn il‑persuni jifhmu li t‑tama mhix biss f’din id‑dinja, imma għandha destin aħħari u dejjiemi. Ejjew nitolbu biex is‑soċjetà tagħna tħaddan kultura ta’ ħajja mit‑tnissil sal‑aħħar mument tal‑ħajja naturali tal‑bnedmin. Nitolbu wkoll li l‑kura paljattiva, tkun ukoll sinjal ta’ tama ta’ soċjetà li taf tapprezza l‑ħajja sal‑aħħar mument naturali tagħha.
Qegħdin fl‑għatba tal‑Ġublew tat‑Tama. Il‑Papa Franġisku xtaq li l‑2025 tkun immarkata bit‑tama. Meta aħna l‑Isqfijiet ta’ Malta u Għawdex iltqajna mal‑Papa Franġisku, fis‑17 ta’ Mejju 2024, staqsejnieh x’kienet ix‑xewqa tiegħu għall‑2025, għall‑Ġublew tat‑Tama. Qalilna bit‑Taljan: “Una grande festa di misericordia” (festa kbira ta’ ħniena). U jiena ngħid li l‑ħniena trid tkun l‑ewwel nett miegħek innifsek, ma’ ħutek, u anke li tilqa’ l‑ħniena li Alla verament ħerqan jurik.
Jalla din is‑sena li dalwaqt nibdew, tkun sena oħra ta’ solidarjetà, ta’ ħniena magħna nfusna u ta’ ħniena bejnietna. Jalla l‑esperjenza ta’ dan il‑Milied ma tkunx biss esperjenza sabiħa ta’ ftit jiem imma wkoll tagħti togħma tajba lil ħajjitna u lil dak kollu li nagħmlu bejnietna.
Nixtieq ukoll insellem lill‑emigranti Maltin. Nirringrazzjahom tax‑xhieda li jagħtu u tal‑valuri sbieħ Maltin li tant nixtieq li jibqgħu ħajjin billi nieħdu ħsieb ġensna. Nagħtu futur lil ġensna anke bil‑barka tal‑ulied.
Nawguralkom mill‑qalb, il‑Milied it‑tajjeb, u sena mimlija risq u barka.
✠ Charles Jude Scicluna
Arċisqof ta’ Malta
Il-messaġġ tal-Arċisqof bil-Lingwa tas-Sinjali Maltija
Cherishing the value of children as a source of blessing
Christmas Message by Archbishop Charles Jude Scicluna
Greetings and best wishes for a joyous Christmas to everyone following and listening to this message. This year, I have chosen to deliver my Christmas reflections from this dear location, Hospice Malta, traditionally known as the Cini Institute in Santa Venera. What is the historical significance of this place to the Maltese and Gozitans?
Cini Institute began as a food production facility owned by the Cini family, who operated a pasta factory here. In the 19th century, Adelaide Cini transformed her family’s factory into a refuge for young women in need, offering them protection and dignity. Over the years, this institution became a sanctuary, a place where new generations found their beginning.
Today, this cherished place is home to Hospice Malta, an organisation dedicated to providing care and support to our brothers and sisters as they prepare for their eternal journey.
You might wonder why I chose this venue to deliver my message on Christmas Day, of all days. Christmas is not merely a celebration of birth; it is also a profound reminder of the eternity of life. My wish is that we treasure this Christmas as a meaningful milestone in our journey towards a wonderful life—a journey that calls us to live with intention while we are here on earth, and at the same time prepare ourselves for eternal life.
After all, the child whose birth we commemorate during these holy days offers us the gift of eternal life. His kingdom is not of this world, yet His message calls us to begin our journey toward eternity even now, living out the words: “Be holy and blameless before him in love” (Eph. 1:4). The invitation from the child born in Bethlehem, Jesus of Nazareth, is an invitation to live life to its fullest potential.
This Christmas, after celebrating the 50th anniversary of our Republic together, I wish to emphasise and renew my appeal to the Maltese and Gozitan people: let us remain open to the gift of life. Let us build a culture of hope for the future, for the generations yet to come, so that our homes are filled with the blessing of children.
Today, as we celebrate the profound blessing that the birth of a child brings, let us also reflect on how each new life enriches society in countless ways. Rather than despairing that our nation currently holds the lowest birthrate in Europe, we must respond with concrete action. Each of us bears a responsibility to contribute to creating a supportive and nurturing environment—one that inspires young couples to embrace the future with hope, build loving homes, and welcome the gift of children.
I acknowledge that not everyone can experience this blessing. I extend my deepest encouragement to those couples who choose adoption or fostering. I also wish to commend the efforts of all who contribute to creating an environment that supports and facilitates the journey of parenthood, nurturing hope that new life will continue to flourish in our nation.
We are gathered in St Michael Hospice, a place where hope is understood not as confined to this earthly existence, but as a guiding light toward our ultimate and eternal destination. Let us pray for our society to embrace a culture of life, honouring its sanctity from conception to natural death. May the provision of palliative care stand as a beacon of hope, reflecting a society that cherishes and upholds the dignity of life in all its stages.
We are on the threshold of the Jubilee of Hope, declared by Pope Francis as a year characterised by hope. When we Bishops of Malta and Gozo met with Pope Francis on the 17th of May 2024, we asked him what his wish for 2025, for the Jubilee of Hope, is. He responded with the words, “Una grande festa di misericordia” (a great feast of mercy). I add that, first and foremost, mercy must begin with ourselves and our brethren and be open to receiving the infinite mercy of God.
May the forthcoming new year be another one defined by solidarity and compassion, with mercy extended to ourselves and to one another. May the profound experience of this Christmas season resonate deeply in our hearts and continue to inspire our actions throughout the year ahead.
I extend my heartfelt greetings to all Maltese emigrants. I thank you for upholding the values of our beloved nation, values that I sincerely wish we would continue to keep alive by taking care of our nation. Let us give our nation a future, even by blessing it with children.
I wholeheartedly wish you a blessed Christmas, and a year full of prosperity and blessings.
✠ Charles Jude Scicluna
Archbishop of Malta