Archbishop Charles Scicluna: Will A Maltese Child Still Speak Maltese 50 Years From Now?

Archbishop Charles Scicluna has urged Malta to reflect on the legacy it will leave future generations, asking whether a child growing up on the islands 50 years from now will still speak Maltese or feel connected to the country's history, culture and identity.

Addressing the State of the Nation conference at San Anton Palace, the Archbishop invited the audience to imagine what Malta would look like for a child born into the future.

He questioned whether that child would still feel part of a people with a shared language, traditions and heritage, or whether those defining characteristics would have been lost.

Scicluna said the Malta of tomorrow was being shaped by the decisions taken today on families, the economy, the environment, institutions and national values.

He described Maltese identity as something entrusted to each generation, to be preserved and passed on rather than taken for granted.

While acknowledging that Malta had been enriched over the centuries by different cultures, he said the country had developed a distinct identity that should be protected.

He added that people who settle in Malta in good faith should be welcomed with dignity while also being encouraged to appreciate the islands' unique heritage and take part in the responsibilities of Maltese society.

The Archbishop argued that preserving Malta's identity depended on ensuring there was a new generation to inherit it, warning that the country's alarmingly low birth rate posed a serious challenge.

He concluded by urging the country to leave behind not only a more prosperous Malta, but one where its language, culture, institutions and values remained worthy of the trust of future generations.

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