The youths participating in the MED25 – Bel Espoir Project, currently taking place in Malta, began their second day with a public lecture at St John’s Co-Cathedral in Valletta. Titled “Art and the Catholic Reform in Hospitaller Malta: Faith and Patronage at the Heart of the Mediterranean,” the lecture was delivered by Rev. Dr Nicholas Doublet and explored Malta’s rich religious and artistic legacy during the Catholic Reformation.
Rev. Doublet explained that, following the Protestant Reformation, Malta, under the rule of the Knights of Saint John, strategically embraced sacred art to teach the faith and reinforce Catholic identity. Inspired by the Tridentine decrees, artists like Caravaggio and Mattia Preti acted as reformers with a brush, embedding religious themes into the island’s art and architecture. Their work became a powerful means of moral and spiritual renewal, turning Malta’s sacred spaces into a visual pedagogy that embodied the ideals of Catholic Reform.
The morning continued with the celebration of Holy Mass, presided over by Auxiliary Bishop Joseph Galea-Curmi. The Italian and Spanish communities residing in Malta were invited to join the celebration, reflecting the project’s emphasis on Mediterranean unity. In his homily, Bishop Galea-Curmi reflected on the Gospel of John, where the Risen Christ enters a locked room of fearful disciples and offers peace.
Drawing a parallel with today’s Mediterranean—a region rich in culture yet marked by conflict and displacement—Bishop Galea-Curmi called on the young people to be bridge-builders and storytellers of hope. “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.”
After Mass, the participants engaged in an interactive workshop held in the Oratory of St John’s Co-Cathedral, centered on the unnamed daughter of Herodias, Salome, one of the key protagonists in Caravaggio’s Beheading of St John the Baptist. Speaker Giulia Privitelli noted that, though unnamed and voiceless in the biblical text, Salome’s role as a silent intermediary transformed her into an iconic figure of culture and mythology. Using Caravaggio’s painting as a lens, the living observers’ attention is shifted to the silent witnesses—two women and two prisoners—inviting reflection on the condition of evil and violence, guided by the light of hope and mercy.
The day’s activities continued with the youths settling aboard the boat that, on Tuesday, will carry them to their next destination—another Mediterranean harbour—where they will continue their exploration of the region’s rich cultural and spiritual diversity.
Public Conference: Women in the Mediterranean
Inspired by Pope Francis’ mandate and teachings of the Mediterranean as a bridge between peoples, cultures and faiths, the Church in Malta hosted a public conference in the afternoon titled ‘Women in the Mediterranean’. The event focused on women’s experiences in the region, especially in the context of migration and conflict, and explored themes such as vulnerability, strength, silence, identity and resilience.
The conference was opened by Prof. Nadia Delicata, Episcopal Delegate for Evangelisation, who emphasised that, gathered in the spirit of Pope Francis’ dream for a peaceful Mediterranean, participants should reflect on Malta’s deep tradition of hospitality and resilience. Prof. Delicata honoured the feminine strength that, through centuries of struggle, nurtured hope, healing and transformation. Women’s experiences—of abduction, exclusion and omertà—are offered not as wounds alone, but as seeds for renewal. From the island where Paul once found refuge, she urged participants to create spaces for authentic dialogue rooted in personal truth.
Women in the Mediterranean’ featured three keynote speakers, each tackling a complex issue rooted in Mediterranean history and contemporary society:
Abduction (Il-Ħatfa) by Prof. Daniela Debono
Prof. Debono, Head of the Department of Anthropology at the University of Malta, explored the plight of migrant women through the lens of abduction and piracy—deeply ingrained concepts in Mediterranean cultural memory. Her talk contrasted these motifs of violence and capture with the region’s more familiar self-image of care and hospitality. In doing so, she opened up a conversation on how gendered experiences of migration have been shaped by both ancient narratives and modern realities.
Outward Vs Inward (Barra vs Ġewwa) by Ms Marcelle Bugre Zanya
Ms Bugre Zanya, a social worker and a humanitarian working with the UNHCR, addressed gender-based violence by examining the tension between external (barra) and internal (ġewwa) forces—particularly about Malta’s colonial past and its ongoing journey toward inclusivity. Her keynote explored how lingering colonial legacies have shaped both personal and collective identity, and what it means to build a community that is self-aware, resilient, and welcoming.
Silence and Being Silenced (Omertà) by Dr Maria Brown
Dr Brown, a lecturer in adult education, community-based education and community development, research methods and social impact assessment, delved into the paradox of silence—a quality often regarded as virtuous, yet one that can also cultivate environments of mistrust, exclusion, and violence. By analysing the role of silence in enabling harm, she argued for creativity as a force for healing and a pathway to reclaiming voice and agency in the face of systemic silence.
In a video message, Archbishop Charles Scicluna of Malta reflected on the island’s ancient heritage, noting that its name evokes both “a safe haven” and “the island of honey”—symbols that echo Malta’s matriarchal roots and deep Marian devotion. He emphasised the enduring feminine presence on the islands as a bridge to the divine. Speaking of the Mediterranean as a space marked by both conflict and cultural exchange, he echoed Pope Francis’ hope that the Mare Nostrum might become a place of unity rather than tragedy. He concluded by expressing his wish that the conference would bring wisdom and inspiration to all.
The President of Malta Myriam Spiteri Debono thanked participants and the Archdiocese of Malta for highlighting the importance of addressing regional realities within the Church, as emphasised by the 2019 Pan-Amazon Synod. She stressed that the Mediterranean, though a cradle of civilisation, has been both nurtured and ravaged, with this conference focusing on the experiences and aspirations of Mediterranean women. Praising women’s leadership in education, climate action and peacebuilding, she warned that despite progress, domestic violence and feminicide are rising.
President Spiteri Debono urged reclaiming silenced narratives and honouring women who perished through migration. Reflecting on Christian tradition, which portrays women as bearers of courage and love, she called for these virtues to heal today’s fractured trust. The President encouraged participants to use the conference to blend academic insight with lived experience, shaping a more inclusive future. She concluded by celebrating Pope Francis’s legacy of promoting women’s dignity and leadership.
The conference was organised by MED25 in Malta in collaboration with MELA, a project by the Episcopal Delegate for Evangelisation, on behalf of the Archdiocese of Malta and the Maltese Episcopal Conference.
Following the interventions, conference participants engaged with the panellists in small group discussions. These contributions will be gathered and reflected upon as part of the project’s ongoing dialogue.
During the conference, NGO Inizjamed brought a literary dimension to the conference through readings of poetry by Maltese women poets, renewing artistic expression in Malta through a deeper awareness of the cultural diversity present in Malta, the Mediterranean, and beyond.
The conference concluded with a networking reception on the terrace of the Mediterranean Conference Centre in Valletta, offering participants a chance to continue their conversations informally while enjoying the historic landscape of the Grand Harbour.
The three-day event is being organised by MED25 in Malta in collaboration with Heritage Malta and Valletta Cruise Port.