Marking 60 years of diplomatic relations between Malta and the Holy See, Cardinal Pietro Parolin said that Malta’s vocation as a bridge of peace in the Mediterranean mirrors the Church’s diplomatic mission, which is rooted not in power, but in dialogue, human dignity and service to peace.
The 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Malta and the Holy See was commemorated on Saturday evening with the launch of two publications at the Archbishop’s Curia in Floriana, in the presence of the Secretary of State of the Holy See, Pietro Parolin.
The event was opened by Archbishop Charles Scicluna, who thanked Cardinal Parolin and those present, as well as everyone involved in the publication of ‘Peter in the Island of Paul: Milestones in the History of Relations between Malta and the Holy See,’ and ‘Sixty Years of Diplomatic Relations Between the Holy See and Malta.’
Archbishop Scicluna said it was his “deep wish that these bonds continue to flourish for the good of humanity, in a world that is in such great need of wisdom, restraint and mercy.”
In his address, Cardinal Parolin said that diplomatic relations between Malta and the Holy See are not merely the result of a political act in 1965, but the expression of a much older spiritual and historical bond.
He spoke of the relational nature of pontifical diplomacy, inspired by the Church’s pastoral mission and founded on human dignity, dialogue and the service of peace.
He said that Malta’s Christian history, shaped by the arrival of St Paul and its enduring communion with the See of St Peter, reflects a balance between hospitality and unity, local identity and universal communion.
Cardinal Parolin added that relations between the Church and the Maltese State have developed in a mature and respectful manner, with cooperation that serves the common good.
Despite its small geographical size, Malta has a special vocation as a “bridge of peace” in the Mediterranean, a calling closely aligned with the diplomatic ethos of the Holy See, Parolin said.
Referring to the Maltese word “sliem,” Parolin said that it expresses more than the absence of conflict: it signifies harmony, reconciliation and goodwill, and can serve as a guiding principle for international relations today.
While looking back at the past, the anniversary also calls for renewed commitment to building bridges of truth, charity and peace in the face of the world’s emerging challenges, he said.
Among those present were President Myriam Spiteri Debono, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs Ian Borg, Speaker Anġlu Farrugia, Archbishop Charles Scicluna, Gozo Bishop Anton Teuma, Auxiliary Bishop Joseph Galea-Curmi, Emeritus bishops, Opposition Leader Alex Borg, and members of the diplomatic corps led by Apostolic Nuncio Savio Hon Tai-Fai.
Earlier in the day, a Mass was celebrated at St John’s Co-Cathedral to mark the anniversary, presided over by Cardinal Parolin together with the bishops of Malta and Gozo, Emeritus bishops, priests and members of religious orders.
In his homily, Cardinal Parolin said the shipwreck of St Paul remains the foundation of Malta’s Christian identity.
Drawing on the Word of God, he said that true authority – both spiritual and diplomatic – does not come from power, but from trust, responsibility and relationship with God and with others.
The hospitality shown by the Maltese to St Paul symbolised a continuing vocation for encounter, dialogue and peace, linking the mission of St Paul with the unity upheld by St Peter, he said.
Parolin said the relationship between Malta and the Holy See is a form of communion that places the human person at its centre.
He said that in a world marked by the storms of war, fear and fragmentation, Malta is called to remain a bridge of peace and welcome, while the Church, through its diplomacy, continues to bear witness that no one should be lost, and that, despite the storms, God continues to guide history so that “all may reach the shore in peace.”
At the end of the Mass, Archbishop Scicluna thanked Cardinal Parolin on behalf of the Maltese and Gozitan people for accepting the invitation to visit Malta, saying the moment marks a path of growth in the strong relationship between the people of Malta and the See of Peter with the Pope.
He also thanked Apostolic Nuncio Savio Hon Tai-Fai for his service in Malta, as he prepares to leave the country, and presented a donation on behalf of the Archdiocese of Malta and the Diocese of Gozo to the charity of Pope Leo XIV.