Good Governance

On Independence Day, Archbishop Charles J. Scicluna made reference to four values – unity, goodness, truthfulness and beauty – as a criterion for good governance. The Archbishop stated that State government should be based on the quest for national unity. In contrast, policies that are divisive are a travesty and a mortal poison to the common good of society. Government should safeguard the value of goodness, were the common good is not sacrificed for the selfish interests of the minority. The third value is truthfulness. When governance is based on spin, on obscure dealings, and on a constant reticence to allow public scrutiny, irrespective of the myriad laws and the solemn promises, one cannot have good governance. The fourth value is beauty. A Government that continues to restore and protect our heritage, that will energetically defend the pristine cleanliness of our seas, that will only allow sustainable development: that is a Government that really cares about beauty, that expresses the nation’s wisdom of the heart. Click here to read the Archbishop’s homily.