Centre for Faith and Justice

My concern for the well being of those around me is a witness to my faith. If I wouldn't care less about my brother, how can I dare proclaim the Good News of God's loving kindness with my mouth and expect others to take heed?

This consideration led Jesuits to conclude that one cannot separate the promotion of faith from its expression through social concern. But still, we cannot witness God's love by simply giving food to the poor. If we do not go beyond the simple 'donation', we could make the poor dependent on our 'charity' and hence condemn them to poverty forever. If there are poor in the world, then there is an injustice being done... and our belief in a God made flesh cannot remain cold and indifferent in front of the cry of the poor. 

'Going beyond' can take several forms. In order to accompany and stay with the socially deprived, some Jesuit communites are 'inserted' among them. These Jesuits share the lifestyle of their neighbours while seeking to 'empower' the poor and illiterate to 'go beyond' the status quo themselves. In Malta, a Jesuit 'insertion' community is engaged in this type of activity. Jesuits and young-adult volunteers provide accademic help to children faring badly at school. They organise summer camps and cultural outings for these children. They also seek to provide formation for parents, informing them about their rights, indicating how they could afford a better future for their children.
 

Members of this comunity together with a team of sociologists and other experts constitute the Centre for Faith and Justice (CFJ). This Centre aims to create an awareness among the general public of the social problems present in Malta and throughout the world. Part of the CFJ, the recently set-up Paulo Feire Institute promotes literacy at various levels. Every week, the CFJ publishes a full-page article on the topic in a local newspaper. The Centre also organises seminars on social issues, especially literacy and public education. It has done research on the current situation using surveys and other tools, and it seeks to inform the public on the situation by means of a number of publications. To receive this year's CFJ programme, contact:

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