Homily by Bishop Joseph Galea-Curmi
Dear young friends from different countries of the Mediterranean,
Dear pilgrims of Le Bel Espoir,
Christ is risen! Alleluia!
Today, through the Gospel of John, we enter a moment of deep significance: the disciples are gathered behind locked doors, afraid, uncertain, disoriented after the events of the Passion. In many ways, this image mirrors the experience of our region. The Mediterranean – cradle of civilization, of faiths, of languages, of cultures – has known the warmth of encounter, but also the wounds of war, migration, and misunderstanding.
And yet, it is into this very space of fear and doubt that the Risen Jesus walks. Not through force, not with fury, but with the gentle power of peace. “Peace be with you” he says, not once, but three times (John 20:19.21.26)
And here, at Med25, on this journey named Le Bel Espoir – “Beautiful Hope” – we are also called to hear those words in a personal way. Because this isn’t just a spiritual conference or cultural gathering. It is a prophetic moment: where your presence, your voices, your dreams are declaring that a new narrative is possible.
From Fear to Encounter
Just like the disciples, we too often lock the doors of our hearts, whether out of fear of the “other,” fear of failure, fear of the future. But Jesus breaks through these walls, not to scold us, but to send us. He transforms a fearful room into the first mission field. He turns the wounded into witnesses.
And you, dear young people, are called to do the same – to transform the Mediterranean from a sea of division into a bridge of hope.
Wounded but Risen: A Shared Story
Jesus shows his wounds. He does not erase them in his Resurrection. This speaks volumes to our generation, especially in regions where people carry the visible and invisible scars of violence, poverty, or displacement.
The renewal of our narrative does not mean forgetting the pain of the past. It means resurrecting through it. It means recognising that even through suffering, God can write beauty.
At Med25, each of you brings your own unique stories – stories of resilience and witness from Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Egypt, Lebanon, Palestine, Bosnia, Romania, Syria, Georgia, France, Spain, Italy and Malta. You are living pages of a Gospel that is still being written.
Thomas: The Apostle of Honest Faith
Let’s not forget Thomas. He doubted. He questioned. He needed to touch. And what does Jesus do? He invites him in. “Put your finger here” (John 20:27) – see my wounds. Jesus honours the seeking heart.
To doubt is not to be weak. It is often the starting point of a deeper faith. It’s okay to ask questions, to wrestle with faith, to cry out for clarity – because a renewed narrative is always born from authentic searching.
“As the Father has sent me, so I send you” (John 20:21)
And here is the turning point. Jesus doesn’t just comfort. He commissions. At Med25, in this kairos moment, Jesus says to each of you: You are sent.
You are sent to build peace, to listen across borders, to tell new stories – of unity, not enmity; of hospitality, not hostility; of love, not hate.
You are not just future leaders. You are leaders now. You are bridge-builders, peacemakers, creators of culture.
Le Bel Espoir – A Manifesto of Hope
Le Bel Espoir is not just a name; it’s a declaration. Beautiful Hope is not naive optimism. It is Easter faith. It is the conviction that the last word belongs not to death, but to life. That our sea – the Mare Nostrum – can be a sea of communion, not conflict.
I would like to recall the words of Pope Francis: “The Mediterranean is precisely a sea that is also a crossroads. If we fail to understand that crossroads, we will never understand the Mediterranean. It is a sea geographically closed to the oceans, but culturally always open to encounter, dialogue and mutual inculturation. Nonetheless, there is a need for renewed and shared narratives which – based on listening to the past and to the present – speak to the hearts of people, narratives in which it is possible to see oneself in a constructive, peaceful and hope-generating way” (Address at the Conference “Theology after Veritatis Gaudium in the context of the Mediterranean” held in Naples, Italy, on June 21, 2019).
Your presence here is already a testimony to hope, to the Bel Espoir. Together, you are writing a renewed Mediterranean narrative – not just with ink, but more so with lives that say “yes” to peace, to dialogue, to Jesus who walks through our closed doors and sends us out.
So, go now with joy. With boldness. With wounds that shine. May the Risen Christ accompany you and bless you, and fill your hearts with hope, courage, and strength.
✠ Joseph Galea-Curmi
Auxiliary Bishop of Malta
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