Archive for category: News

On Friday 18 July 2025, Her Excellency Myriam Spiteri Debono, President of Malta, officially inaugurated the 15th edition of the BOV Volleyball Marathon in aid of Id‑Dar tal‑Providenza.

Forty players, selected from a total of seventy applicants, started the challenge of 53 hrs of non‑stop volleyball.

In a short speech at the opening of the marathon, the President of Malta, H.E. Myriam Spiteri Debono described Id‑Dar tal‑Providenza as a pioneer of inclusion in Malta. The President remarked that the Maltese and Gozitan people are aware of and grateful for the hard work carried out by Id‑Dar tal‑Providenza for the benefit of its residents and their families.

President Myriam Spiteri Debono stressed the need for the Maltese people to continue to understand the difficulties that persons with disability and their relatives are going through, while appealing for the generosity of the Maltese and Gozitans so that Id‑Dar tal‑Providenza can continue to assist and offer a dignified life to these persons, and be a relief to their families.

In his inaugural address Mgr Martin Micallef, Director of Id‑Dar tal‑Providenza welcomed all those present to the 15th edition of the BOV Volleyball Marathon which he described as an annual appointment of sport, solidarity and generosity in support of a cause that is truly close to the hearts of all the Maltese.

He added that this year is particularly special, not only because Id‑Dar tal‑Providenza is celebrating 15 years of this marathon, but also because it is marking a historic milestone – the 60th anniversary of the founding of the Home by the visionary priest Mgr Mikiel Azzopardi. Sixty years ago, Mgr Azzopardi dreamed of a home where persons with disabilities would be not only cared for but respected, included, and treated as full members of society.

 

Today, that dream lives on, stronger than ever. Over the next 53 hours, forty dedicated players will give their all, not just for the love of volleyball, but also to support a just cause. Their endurance, commitment, and team spirit mirror the very values at the heart of Id‑Dar tal‑Providenza – the sacredness of life, respect for all, support for  families, and a community spirit that empowers persons with disabilities to live with dignity, autonomy, and inclusion. Mgr Micallef thanked all those who made this event possible: Bank of Valletta the main sponsor of this event, the organising committee, the players, volunteers, sponsors and the media.

Kenneth Farrugia, CEO of Bank of Valletta, stated that the Bank is proud of its long‑standing relations with Id‑Dar tal‑Providenza. This is the fifteenth year that the Bank is supporting this marathon, which exemplifies the link between sport and volunteering.

Mr Farrugia added: “As a leading Bank in Malta, we believe it is our responsibility to give back to the community and in this way support Id‑Dar tal‑Providenza and the invaluable work done in carrying out its mission. The Bank remains committed to foster this partnership that ties in well with its values, in particular inclusion, and continue helping the more vulnerable members of society.”

Present for the official opening were the Hon. Julia Farrugia, Minister for Inclusion and the Voluntary Sector, the Hon. Dr Jo Etienne Abela, Minister for Health and Active Ageing, the Hon. David Agius, Deputy Speaker and Shadow Minister for Sports, the Hon. Graziella Galea, Shadow Minister for Inclusion and the Voluntary Sector, the Hon. Rosianne Cutajar, Mr Kenneth Farrugia, CEO of Bank of Valletta the main sponsor of the Marathon and Mr Ernest Agius, Chief Operations Officer at Bank of Valletta, representing the BOV Foundation.

In the evening during the three days of the marathon there will be live music on the main stage. On Friday evening from 9:00 pm to midnight, the band Zone 5 will be invited, on Saturday the band Kantera and on Sunday the Spiteri Lucas Band.

On Sunday morning during the marathon, the Archdiocese of Malta will be celebrating the Jubilee of Sport  with a fun run for all, that will start at 8.00am from near the San Niklaw Chapel in Siġġiewi and ends up at Id‑Dar tal‑Providenza carpark where all those taking part will be given a commemorative medal and will be invited to attend mass celebrated by Archbishop Charles J. Scicluna at the Home’s chapel at 9.30am.

The marathon will be broadcast on the local TV channels.

The public can help by calling the numbers below, using BOV Mobile or PayPal and Revolut or donating online through these Home’s bank accounts.

€15         5170 2012

€25         5180 2013

€50         5190 2070

€100       5130 2044

Pledge Line: 2146 3686

BOV Mobile: 7932 4834

For more information about how one can give a donation one can visit the site: www.sabihlitaghti.org.

 

Id-Dar tal-Providenza is firmly opposed to assisted suicide and euthanasia, as it believes they both strike at the heart of society, which has a duty to protect the life of every person. They also undermine the principle of inclusion. It also maintains that the dignity of life is not achieved through assisted suicide. For these reasons, it strongly opposes the proposal to introduce assisted voluntary euthanasia in Malta.

Id-Dar tal-Providenza notes that wherever assisted suicide has been introduced, there has been a cultural shift in which those who are “healthy” are increasingly valued, while negative attitudes towards those who require care and medical assistance are reinforced.

Euthanasia promotes a throwaway culture, in which human beings are seen as burdens, and the decision to die may not truly be a personal choice but rather influenced by internalised societal values that devalue care and portray dependence on others as something shameful.

Indeed, the current debate places a strong emphasis on personal autonomy and paints a picture that it is better to die than to live in dependence, in need of personal care, or in pain – a concept that suggests that the lives of those in such situations are of lesser value. This easily leads from a “right to die” to a “duty to die,” due to the pressure placed on individuals who depend on others and who may feel that they have become a burden to society and their loved ones.

This proposal can result in a dangerous shift in medical ethics, where doctors become instruments of death instead of defenders of life. Moreover, in a culture that views death as a solution, there have already been cases where doctors decided not to save the life of a person with a disability because they believed that the person had no acceptable quality of life – thus ignoring the person’s right to life.

Id-Dar tal-Providenza believes that so-called safeguards are deceptive, as they rarely remain in place over time, as seen in Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and Canada. In Canada, assisted suicide occurs in the case of people with disabilities or mental health conditions, while in the Netherlands, parents may choose to end the lives of babies born with disabilities.

Furthermore, id-Dar tal-Providenza considers the consultation period to be too short, as it does not allow for a mature and informed discussion and does not provide for meaningful participation by organisations that represent persons with disabilities and their families.

Id-Dar tal-Providenza insists that Malta must continue to uphold the value of life and work towards providing better care and support. This can be done by investing in high-quality and holistic palliative care, improving services for persons with disabilities and those with mental health difficulties, and promoting the belief that every life is worthy of being lived.

On Saturday, 10th May, id-Dar tal-Providenza together with the Malta Catholic Action organised a mass for the repose of the soul of Mgr Mikiel Azzopardi, the Home’s founder, on the occasion of the 38th anniversary of his death. He died on May 13th 1987 aged 77 years.

The mass was celebrated by Fr Reuben Gauci, the Ecclesiastical Assistant of the Youth Catholic Action (ZAK), assisted by Mgr Martin Micallef, Director of Id-Dar tal-Providenza. In attendance for this mass were the Home’s residents, employees and volunteers, the Directorate of the Malta Catholic Action and the residents of Casa Leone, a Church’s home for the elderly in St. Julians.

In his homily, Fr Martin spoke of the qualities of the Good Shepherd and said that these were reflected in persons that were gifted to us by God amongst whom were the lamented Pope Francis, our new Pope, Leo XIV and Mgr Mikiel Azzopardi. Mgr Micallef pointed out that we are all called to be shepherds according to God’s heart and according to our particular calling and all the environments that we live and work in.

At the end of the mass, the President of the Malta Catholic Action, Marija Cachia, thanked the residents and employees of Id-Dar tal-Providenza for their welcome, as well as the Casa Leone residents who together with those responsible for the administration of the home and the Diocesan office for the Homes of the Elderly accepted the invitation to attend. This is an annual appointment not only as a sign of respect for Mgr Mikiel Azzopardi but also with respect for those he represents. As Fr Martin explained in his homily Mgr Azzopardi always put the Gospel in practice especially with respect towards the dignity of every person from conception to natural death.

Pope Leo XIV reminded us that God loves everyone unconditionally. Maybe these are words that we as a society need to continually remind ourselves of.