People should be careful and watch over themselves in the way they speak about each other, Archbishop Charles Scicluna said as he delivered his homily on the beginning of the liturgical season of Lent.

The Archbishop’s homily was delivered during a penitential pilgrimage made at the request of Pope Francis for this Jubilee year. It began at the Church of the Conversion of St Paul in Safi and concluded with a mass led by the Archbishop in the Church of St Catherine in Zurrieq, which included the participation of several priests.

The Archbishop said that people should also be mindful of what they write and upload on social media, as he added that even if one does not say a harsh word about someone, but likes it if someone else does, then that would still be an indication of approval. He said that being mindful in this way is part of having love for your neighbour as yourself. “How do I talk about my neighbour? Will the fruit of what I say, of what I do, bring peace or trouble?" The Archbishop questioned.

During the homily, he spoke of how the Word of Jesus “"gives us a clear path for this Lent journey: the path that looks at yourself, at your neighbour, and at God". He continued that through the commandment of love, one learns to love their neighbours as themselves, and added that this also means that one should truly take care of themselves.