On Thursday 16 June 2022, Lassana Cisse was bid farewell at the Mariam Al-Batool Mosque. The prayer was led by Imam Mohammed El Sadi and was attended by Archbishop Charles Scicluna and representatives of non-governmental organisations.
Message by Archbishop Charles Jude Scicluna
First of all I would like to thank you, dear Imam Mohammed El Sadi, for welcoming us here in this mosque and for leading the Muslim prayer for our dear friend, Lassana Cisse. We all feel very touched but also very sad that we had to meet today to bid farewell on this earth to a man who had his own dreams, his own hopes and his own projects that were shattered by bullets, shot in an insane attitude of disrespect, if not hatred.
We leave human justice to take its course but we are also here to beg forgiveness to the Lord, Father of all creatures, as brothers and sisters. Let the death of Lassana show us how terrible disrespect to one another truly is, how terrible hatred can be. We pray with you, my brother Imam, for the eternal repose of our brother, Lassana, and we ask forgiveness for our sins of negligence, disrespect and hatred.
Let the death of Lassana show us how terrible disrespect to one another truly is, how terrible hatred can be
We Maltese are proud of our heritage, of being a welcoming nation and this is a very sad day for us, where this high ideal is shattered and we are called to be a better people. The Holy Father Pope Francis met migrants in Malta not very far from where Lassana was killed and other brothers of his were also shot at a few months earlier. This is a call for a change of path and may we take this day, in memory of Lassana, as a commitment to do whatever we can as civil societies, faith communities like ours, that we may really and truly commit ourselves and live for that brotherly love and respect, tolerance and mutual acceptance that make life on this earth beautiful, at peace and in harmony.
✠ Charles Jude Scicluna
Archbishop of Malta