Homily by Bishop Joseph Galea-Curmi
In life, we make many choices. However, all of us present here received the gift of life, and were born, not because of a choice we made ourselves, but because our parents chose life. There were people who looked after us lovingly before and after we were born. We are profoundly grateful to them.
However, our gratitude is even deeper because they brought us up in an environment that cherishes life. When we were young, among the most important values we were taught was an appreciation of life and the dignity of every human being. Maltese society has always recognised that life is precious, from the first moment of conception to its natural end. It acknowledges that we must do everything possible to protect life from any threat or harm.
This is what we are celebrating today. It is a positive celebration of life, of all that fosters the protection of life among us.
The challenges we are facing
Today, we face numerous challenges in protecting life and must recognise the difficult choices required to address them.
Some people choose to ignore the scientific truth – now clearly visible through ultrasound – that human life begins at conception. They insist that the womb contains only a small cluster of cells that can easily be discarded. However, if life has started, even in its earliest stages, then eliminating it means destroying human life. You may use different terms, even referring to the cells as being like a cyst, but the reality remains: destroying these cells means ending a life that has already begun.
Some argue that being progressive means allowing the destruction of life before birth. It is a huge contradiction to speak about progress when you are denying the progress of those who are still small and vulnerable, and not allowing them to develop. Being genuinely progressive means supporting the growth of the small and the weak, not stifling it.
We should be happy that we are in the forefront in cherishing life!
Some say that everyone should be allowed to choose freely. They contend that if you believe in God, you can respect life from the beginning, but also give full freedom to non-believers to do what they want, without imposing your faith. However, there is a fundamental mistake here: it is not faith, but science, which shows that human life has started. Faith tells us that every human life is God’s image, a gift from him. We cannot say that life should only be protected by those who believe, while non-believers can destroy it!
There are some who maintain that we Maltese remain alone in respecting life from the first moment of conception. This should make us proud, rather than give us a sense of inferiority. We should be happy that we are in the forefront in cherishing life!
These challenges must be faced with a calm and clear mind. If we accept that a life already begun can be ended, we undermine the foundation of respect for life at all stages. We would be embracing the “throwaway culture,” as Pope Francis describes it so powerfully.
A consistent ethic in favour of life
It is the choice in favour of life from the first moment of conception that will help foster a consistent ethic in favour of life constantly, till the very end. This is why we must safeguard life at every stage. This will be seen in the choices we make.
We should insist on the protection of the environment, which provides the air we breathe. Here, too, we demonstrate whether we truly cherish life.
We must help people who are suffering domestic violence or abuse, and whose lives are threatened. They need support to escape the abusive environment so their dignity can be upheld.
We should support those seeking refuge away from their homeland, and do everything possible to prevent them from ending up dead in the sea in their search for a new life.
We have a duty to care for those struggling with mental health issues, helping them live a life of dignity.
We must remain steadfast against drugs which are not a means of recreation but cause degeneration.
We should support those seeking refuge away from their homeland, and do everything possible to prevent them from ending up dead in the sea in their search for a new life.
We must always keep in mind that the strength of a society is measured by the progress of its weakest members.
A choice in favour of life till the very end
The choice for life begins at conception and continues until the very end, when earthly life ends, and eternal life begins.
There are many people who face situations of weakness and vulnerability, especially in the later stages of life. We must communicate the message that every person’s life is precious, and we should give special help to those who are suffering and need palliative care.
In the words of Pope Francis: “Here, I would point out that authentic palliative care is radically different from euthanasia, which is never a source of hope or genuine concern for the sick and dying. Instead, it is a failure of love, a reflection of a ‘throwaway culture’ in which persons are no longer seen as a paramount value to be cared for and respected. Indeed, euthanasia is often presented falsely as a form of compassion. Yet ‘compassion’, a word that means ‘suffering with’, does not involve the intentional ending of a life, but rather the willingness to share the burdens of those facing the end stages of our earthly pilgrimage” (Message to the International Symposium on Palliative Care, 21-23 May 2024).
We offer hope
The option for life means that we support those who are suffering, such as mothers facing serious difficulties. The Church is offering this help in many parishes and communities, together with other institutions such as the Movement for the Rights, Protection and Development of the Unborn Child, and the Life Network Foundation, so that no one is overwhelmed by suffering, and many lives can be saved.
On the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord, we ask him to be “a light for all people”. We ask him to help us share this light as pilgrims of hope, proclaiming the Christian message of hope with clarity – a message that upholds the dignity and sanctity of every human life: we cherish life with love; we choose life.
✠ Joseph Galea-Curmi
Auxiliary Bishop of Malta