/library/oar/handle/123456789/15374 2026-06-14T19:28:29Z 2026-06-14T19:28:29Z Agius, Emmanuel /library/oar/handle/123456789/147371 2026-06-12T11:50:29Z 2026-01-01T00:00:00Z

Title: Structural reform and pastoral renewal : an ethical framework for the process of synodality Authors: Agius, Emmanuel Abstract: When I embarked on my research through printed and online literature on synodality, to my surprise I found no specific article with explicit reflections on the ethical perspectives of the synodality process. This lack of resources on this issue has encouraged rather than discouraged me to take this task earnestly in order to sift out the ethical implications of synodality endorsed in the Preparatory Document for the 16th Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, the Vademecum for the Synod on Synodality, the Working Document for the Continental Stage: Enlarge the Space of your Tent (DCS), the report of the Digital Synod for the Continental Stage, the Instrumentum Laboris for the first session of the 16th Ordinary Assembly of the Synod of Bishops ( October 2023) , the document on "Synodality in the Life and Mission of the Church" published in 2018 by the International Theological Commission, and the reflections articulated by Pope Francis in his homilies, addresses, and speeches. [extract]

2026-01-01T00:00:00Z Camilleri, Charló /library/oar/handle/123456789/145793 2026-04-21T13:11:54Z 2026-01-01T00:00:00Z

Title: Mdina, Carmelite priory Authors: Camilleri, Charló Abstract: Constructed between 1660 and 1675, the priory and its adjoining church were designed by the French military engineer Mederico Blondel des Croisettes. Notably, the church was the first in Malta to be built with an elliptical plan, marking a significant development in Maltese Baroque architecture. Throughout its history, the priory has played a pivotal role in Mdina's religious landscape. During the French occupation in 1798, the church was stripped of its silver and precious hangings, events that contributed to the Maltese uprising against French rule. Additionally, following the 1693 earthquake that damaged the Mdina Cathedral, the Cathedral Chapter temporarily relocated to the Carmelite Church until the new cathedral was consecrated in 1702. [excerpt]

2026-01-01T00:00:00Z /library/oar/handle/123456789/145578 2026-04-14T12:41:09Z 2026-01-01T00:00:00Z

Title: A position paper on advance medical directives : ethical safeguards Abstract: This position paper has been prepared by an interdisciplinary group of academics from the University of Malta, bringing together expertise in medicine, ethics, theology, philosophy, law, and jurisprudence, in collaboration with senior clinical staff at Mater Dei Hospital, in response to the proposed Advanced Medical Directives Act (2026). The proposed legislation aims to establish a legal framework governing the drafting, registration, recognition, and implementation of advance medical directives. The authors welcome this initiative as both timely and necessary, particularly in safeguarding patient dignity at the end of life, supporting families faced with difficult decisions, and providing guidance and legal protection to healthcare professionals. Nevertheless, the paper identifies several ethical considerations that must be addressed to ensure that the legislation achieves its intended purpose while protecting vulnerable individuals and maintaining sound clinical judgement.; A central concern of the position paper is the need for a prudent interpretation of advance medical directives. While legal clarity is essential, decisions at the end of life cannot be reduced to a purely legalistic application of written instructions. Rather, advance directives must be interpreted within a broader ethical framework that includes prudence, proportionality of treatment, and respect for human dignity. The paper distinguishes between two commonly recognised forms of advance medical directives: the living will and the durable power of attorney for healthcare. It notes that the Bill provides for living wills but omits provisions for healthcare proxies, which are often considered more flexible and effective in ensuring that patient wishes are respected in complex clinical situations.; Particular attention is given to artificial nutrition and hydration (ANH), which the Bill treats as life-sustaining interventions. The paper identifies three broad clinical scenarios. First, temporary ANH in reversible conditions generally falls outside the scope of advance refusals. Second, long-term ANH in chronic illness may shift over time from supportive care to life-prolonging treatment, requiring prudent reassessment in light of evolving circumstances. Third, in the final stages of dying, ANH may become burdensome and ethically permissible to be withdrawn, particularly where its continuation increases discomfort or prolongs suffering. In these cases, the focus of care shifts from sustaining physiological functions to providing comfort, alleviating suffering, and supporting families.; Throughout the paper, emphasis is placed on maintaining the distinction between proportionate and disproportionate treatment, and between allowing natural death and euthanasia. Advance medical directives should guide clinical decision-making, preferably, in the context of advanced care planning. Additionally, the paper stresses the need to safeguard vulnerable individuals, particularly elderly persons, from coercion or subtle pressure when drafting advance directives.; This paper also acknowledges that, despite the presence of a clear advance directive, the patient’s actual circumstances may not fully align with those anticipated in the directive. For this reason, it proposes the inclusion of a durable power of attorney alongside the advance medical directive.; The paper concludes with several recommendations, including: promoting advance care planning rather than relying solely on written directives; introducing a durable power of attorney for healthcare; establishing clinical ethics consultation services; strengthening palliative care; introducing a conscience clause; reviewing DNR practices; clarifying mental capacity assessment procedures; ensuring safeguards against coercion; providing clinical guidance on ANH; and allowing individuals to express ethical or religious values to guide interpretation of directives.; Ultimately, the paper affirms that advance medical directives can serve as valuable instruments for compassionate and ethically responsible end-of-life care, provided they are embedded within a robust ethical framework that prioritises dignity, prudence, and solidarity.

2026-01-01T00:00:00Z /library/oar/handle/123456789/145202 2026-03-27T09:34:25Z 2020-01-01T00:00:00Z

Title: The equality bill and religious freedom : a position paper Abstract: The Church is one among several organisations that have a stake in what the Equality Law shall be requiring for the implementation of equality across practically all areas of social life. It has focused on matters that are very closely related to its mission, because it believes that religious freedom, as a universal human right, should not be unduly restrained as a result of an inadequate understanding of the principle of equality. The purpose of the present position paper has been to explain that, rightly understood, equality is perfectly reconcilable with freedom, including religious freedom. As has been noted, the Bill itself assumes that a number of qualifications need to be made in relation to the implementation of equality in the different spheres of social life. The inadequacies of the Bill with respect to equality within the religious domain lie precisely in not taking sufficient account of the qualified way in which it has to be implemented in this domain without prejudice to religious freedom and consciousness objection.

2020-01-01T00:00:00Z