Homily by Archbishop Charles Jude Scicluna
As we celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Republic, we should look back with a sense of gratitude at the progress made in the democratic institutions of our Island State.
We should remember the sterling service to the country given by so many dedicated politicians, by people working in different branches of government, by the judiciary, the civil service, the army, the police and members of other disciplinary and enforcement agencies.
We should recognise the ever-growing role of civil society and the important contribution of non-governmental organisations in several areas ranging from social service to human rights, to the environment, and to justice.
We should also acknowledge the contribution of faith-based societies that promote good and the wellbeing of society in so many ways.
The Constitution of Malta, granted in 1964 at Independence, was amended fifty years ago to establish a republic and shed the last attachment to colonial rule under the umbrella of the British monarchy.
The first Maltese Governor General, Sir Anthony Mamo, became the first President of Malta, the first Maltese Head of State in our country’s modern history. His successors have honoured the office with a sense of dignity, purpose and pride.
Today is a day of gratitude, but it is also a day to hope. Hope that we can continue to evolve as a modern nation while remaining true to the values that have made Malta and the Maltese a special nation.
In this season of hope and new beginnings, allow me to ask the Lord to grant us the blessing of new births in our beloved and sweet land.
Sixty years ago, in the year of Independence, the birth rate in Malta was 2.74. Fifty years ago, when Malta became a Republic, it was at 2.08.
Since then, it has continued to decline. Our fertility rate as a nation dropped to 1.67 in 2000, 1.38 in 2014 and just 1.11 in 2024. We now have the lowest birth rate in the European Union.
Malta’s current birth rate is so low that it is below replacement level. We need to think about the roots and causes of this downward trend, and in the interest of our heritage and the preservation of our ethnicity, we need to be proactive in promoting the blessing of offspring to our families.
The recent incentives in the Government’s budget are a step in the right direction. We need our young couples to look with hope and trust to the future as they plan their life together and fulfil their natural vocation to become parents: mothers and fathers of our future generations. This requires a convergence of attitudes and measures that actively encourage families to thrive and grow in number.
Fair wages, affordable housing, recognising the contribution of mothers and fathers who take care of their children, ancillary social services, and care facilities: these are some of the conditions that the Republic would do well to nurture, in an effort to safeguard and guarantee its future.
For what would the Republic have achieved if it makes economic progress and reforms its institutions but does not provide for the gift of future generations?
On this day, we have a duty to ask ourselves a fundamental question: who will be there to represent Malta’s identity and fly our national colours when our generation fades away? Who will be there to proudly declare this Island as a sweet homeland that cherishes its identity and serves as a safe haven for the life and love and its people?
We will not be there. So, on this day, I appeal to my fellow countrymen to pray that our descendants will be there when the time comes for us to hand over the baton.
✠ Charles Jude Scicluna
Archbishop of Malta