News

The Archbishop celebrates Mass on the occasion of the State visit of the Grandmaster of the Holy Order of St John

16/04/2015

On Thursday 16th April 2015, Archbishop Charles J. Scicluna celebrated Mass on the occasion of the State Visit of His Eminence Fra Matthew Festing, Grandmaster of the Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of St John of Jerusalem of Rhodes and of Malta.
The Archbishop’s homily
Your Excellency Madame President,

Most Eminent Highness, Your Excellencies, members of the Order,

The Maltese are very familiar with four words in Latin that represent the ethos of the Order, which, we Maltese note with pride, takes its name from our country- The four words are: Tuitio Fidei; Obsequium Pauperum, the defence of the faith, respect, or rather, veneration of the poor…

16/04/2015

The number of Catholics in the world and the number of priests and permanent deacons rose slightly in 2013, while the number of men and women in religious orders declined, according to Vatican statistics.

For the second year in a row, the number of candidates for the priesthood also decreased. The numbers come from the Statistical Yearbook of the Church, which was completed in February and published in March…

15/04/2015

On Tuesday 14th April 2015, Archbishop Charles J. Scicluna celebrated Mass at ‘Dar tal-Kleru’, Fleur-de-lys. The priests who are celebrating the 50th anniversary of their ordination to the priesthood, concelebrated with the Archbishop.
Photos: Ian Noel Pace

…

15/04/2015

The image of God is not only displayed in man and woman individually but also together as a couple. These were the words of Pope Francis during his General Audience today in St. Peter’s Square. The Holy Father said that today’s catechesis and the following will reflect on the sacrament of marriage and the complementarity between man and woman.

The Pope began his catechesis by recalling the story of creation in which God, after creating the universe and all living things, created his masterpiece: mankind. “As we all know, sexual difference is present in many forms of life, in the long ladder of the living,” he noted…

15/04/2015

On Divine Mercy Sunday, Pope Francis proclaimed the great Armenian Saint Gregory of Narek a Doctor of the Universal Church. The solemn proclamation took place during the introductory rites at the beginning of a Mass commemorating the 100th anniversary of the beginning of the massacre of Armenians in Ottoman Turkey.

The Prefect for the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, Cardinal Angelo Amato, SDB, made the formal request for the proclamation, recalling the similar declaration, almost one hundred years ago, of another Eastern Saint, Ephrem the Syrian, as a Doctor of the Church…

14/04/2015

A new initaitive for young dancers who want to develop both their art and their faith. A team of experts within the Church Youth Commission (KDŻ) is preparing an innovative programme in Dance Ministry. The first phase of the project is a christian Dance Camp in Foggia (Italy) from June 28 to July 5. Dancers, both trained and amateur, between 13 and 31 are welcome…

14/04/2015

Archbishop Charles J. Scicluna and Fr Joe Galea Curmi, Vicar General, today, Tuesday 14th April 2015, at noon, met with the Provincial of the Maltese Dominican Province, Fr Frans Micallef O.P. and Fr Mark Montebello O.P., at the Archbishop’s Curia, Floriana. During the cordial meeting, the Archbishop encouraged Fr Mark to continue his outreach to gay people, and requested that he continue to follow Church practice and discipline in his ministry, especially in the celebration of sacred rites and Church rituals…

14/04/2015

- Għandi bżonnok…
  
  Għal snin twal u f’setturi differenti tal-ħajja tagħna, il-Knisja f’Malta kienet pijuniera fl-għajnuna lill-batut, lill-abbandunat, lill-emarġinat, lil dak li waqa’ u biex iqum u jkompli miexi kellu bżonn isib id li tgħinu, twennsu u tagħtih l-għodda biex ikompli l-vjaġġ ta’ ħajtu b’pass aktar sod.
  
  Kienet pijuniera fil-ftuħ ta’ djar għal persuni b’diżabbiltà, għal djar li jilqgħu fihom tfal abbandunati, għal Djar tal-Anzjani, għal organizzazzjonijiet b’diversi servizzi speċjalizzati bħalma hi l-Caritas bid-diversi servizzi li toffri, u s-Segretarjat Assistenza Soċjali, għal Djar li jilqgħu fihom żgħażagħ bi problemi, u għal organizzazzjonijiet oħra li joffri diversi servizzi ta’ counselling u servizzi oħra ta’ appoġġ, fosthom mal-ħabsin u mar-refuġjati…

14/04/2015

The Church is a place of “openness” where people should say things with frankness. That’s what Pope Francis said at the morning Mass at Casa Santa Marta in the Vatican on Monday. The Pontiff added that only the Holy Spirit is able to change our attitude, the story of our lives, and to give us courage – just as the Apostles were inspired by Christ’s Resurrection…

13/04/2015

Pope Francis on Saturday afternoon proceeded with the presentation of the official Bull of Indiction of the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy, set to begin December 8.

The bull is the fundamental document for the Holy Year that outlines the overall spirit and intentions for the Jubilee, as well as the spiritual fruits that are hoped for. It was read by Fr Leonardo Sapienza, Regent of the Prefecture of the Pontifical Household, in a ceremony by the Holy Door of St Peter’s Basilica. Pope Francis then moved into the basilica to preside Vespers for Divine Mercy Sunday. The 28-page bull, titled “Misericordiae Vultus” or “The Face of Mercy” opens with the declaration, “Jesus is the face of the Father’s mercy…