People who work in the administration of justice do so to protect citizens from the arrogance of power, Archbishop Charles Scicluna said today.

The Archbishop was delivering his homily at St John’s Co-Cathedral during the opening of the forensic year.

The mass was attended by current and former members of the judiciary, the Justice Minister, and advocates.

He spoke of the need for the judiciary to always weigh what is before them. “God forbid we ever end up with the courts becoming an instrument of oppression.”

He mentioned that some clients do not want the truth or justice to come out, and said that lawyers must not compromise the truth or justice, adding that we should not become the voice of lies.

During his homily, he also pointed to a Caravaggio painting that depicts the assassination of John the Baptiste, but said the person who ordered the assassination there is not present. The executioner is there, he said, adding that on many such paintings the person who orders the act is not present.

The Archbishop spoke about fundamental ethics, and living a life based on virtues, doing the right thing. These virtues include prudence, temperance, strength and justice.

A prudent person seeks advice before taking decisions, weighing all options he said, while a person living a virtuous life uses temperance.

He said that strength is important in order to work according to ones principles, without looking to the left or right, or at faces.

The cardinal virtue of justice is to conduct oneself in a respectful manner, and to practice it, one needs prudence, strength, temperance and courage.