Archbishop Charles Scicluna on Friday said that there have been "too many accounts" of rich businessmen buying influence; politicians and public officials being corrupted; policemen assisting criminals; and journalists participating in wrongdoing instead of exposing it.

Speaking at the State of the Nation conference, Scicluna said that "when informal networks become more powerful than formal institutions, the danger is no longer simply corruption. The danger is the capture of the nation itself - state capture."

Archbishop Scicluna observed that reputations can be built over decades, but lost in minutes. He noted that whilst the Church has learned this lesson the hard way, nations can lose their reputations as well and that "it would be wise to confront what has been happening to ours."

"These matters should trouble every one of us. Because these matters are much bigger than one incident or one institution," the Archbishop said. "They raise the possibility of networks of influence in which money, access, information, favours and protection circulate among people who are supposed to operate independently of one another."

He then asked if everyone in Malta is for sale and, if not, how many people can be bought, as well as how many are ready to remain silent and look the other way.

He added that there is nothing inherently wrong with prosperity, though it brings responsibility and can become dangerous when it ceases to be a means and becomes the end. "And perhaps the most fundamental question is this: Have we fallen to the seduction of money as the main criterion of our progress and our quality of life?"

Archbishop Scicluna asked those present to ask themselves what Malta's children, in 50 years' time, will think of the country, what language they will speak, and what they will see around them.

Malta's future will either be polished or destroyed by the decisions taken today, commenting that preserving our identity as Maltese is a question of justice to both our forefathers and future generations. Scicluna said that, "ultimately, the way to preserve what makes us Maltese is to ensure there is a new generation to inherit it. That means creating conditions to reverse our alarmingly low birthrate."

He said that children must be seen as a blessing in society, not a burden, and emphasised the need for families to be supported by all when they bring children to the world.

"That requires policies which strengthen families, including a serious discussion about parental leave. Childcare is important, but we should also create conditions that allow more parents to remain with their children during those crucial early years," he said.

He appealed for the national economic model to serve society and assist those in need, without taking into account the next general election or economic statistic.

The Archbishop concluded by pleading for this generation to not be the one to disappoint future ones, but rather to be one that breeds hope into their futures.