Archbishop Martin at Raising of the Malta Siege commemoration

Archbishop Martin and members of the Order of Malta Ireland by Cathedral of St Patrick and St Coleman, Newry. Image: CCO

Archbishop Eamon Martin gave this homily during Mass in the Cathedral of Saint Patrick and Saint Coleman, Newry, on 13 September 2025.

Dear friends, our commemoration today of the raising of the siege of Malta, on the 8 September 1565, is a reminder of the power of hope, faith, and spiritual steadfastness in the face of what sometimes seem impossible odds.

For back in 1565 the people of Malta - small in number but strong in faith and hope - believed that God and Mary were with them in their hour of need. For more than four months, supported by the Knights of Saint John, they put up determined resistance against a seemingly invincible enemy force. They held their nerve, shared their dwindling resources, and turned to the power of prayer.

On 8 September, Our Lady's birthday, the might of the Ottoman empire folded, and the beleaguered people of Malta poured out their gratitude to God and to Our Lady, who had been their life, their sweetness and their hope.

It is very special to mark the raising of the siege here in Newry at the Cathedral of Saint Patrick and Saint Coleman, and during this Jubilee Year of Hope. The late Pope Francis, in his message for the Jubilee Year, invited us to celebrate this year the "hope that does not disappoint', and to become pilgrims of hope ourselves, especially in these troubled times.

Today we look back to the siege of Malta, not with any triumphant or arrogant pride, but remembering a people of faith who did not give way to despair. Their resilience reminds us never to give up hope, but instead to see all trials, sufferings and testing times as opportunities for grace, personal sacrifice and endurance.

The full quotation from the letter to the Romans which inspired the late Pope Francis is as follows:"Hope does not disappoint, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us" (Rom 5:1-2.5).

Hope, he said, "is born of love and based on the love springing from the pierced heart of Jesus upon the Cross: Christian hope does not deceive or disappoint because it is grounded in the certainty that nothing and no one may ever separate us from God's love". Hope perseveres in the midst of trials because it is "founded on faith and nurtured by charity" (see Spes Non Confundit 1 - 3, the Papal Bull/decree issued by Pope Francis in May 2024 to proclaim the universal Jubilee Year of Hope 2025).

Faith, hope and charity are the three great virtues which bring Christianity to life. These virtues are also in the heart, mind and soul of every committed member of the Order of Malta and its Ambulance Corps.

If we are to be true to our vocation as baptised Christians, as well as to our association with this historic Order, then we must accept the challenge to bring faith, hope and charity to life, to let them shine out in concrete actions, in tangible signs of Christ within us.

Pope Francis, in Spes Non Confundit, which launched the Jubilee Year, offered examples of those who dearly need our hope-filled outreach: prisoners, the poor, migrants and all those deprived of freedom who often face prejudice and rejection nowadays; the elderly, the sick and suffering at home or in hospital; those with disabilities and those, including young people, whose lives are filled with anxiety or worry because they feel they cannot cope with an uncertain future.

Using a beautiful image, Pope Francis invited us to sing into the world "a hymn to human dignity, a song of hope that calls for the choral participation of society as a whole." I like to think of the Order of Malta as being like a great choir singing that message of Hope into the world today.

The readings at today's Mass of Our Lady of Philermo, with their mentions of Bethlehem, Emmanuel and the birth of Jesus, might well be chosen for the weeks and days coming up to Christmas. They remind us of the Incarnation, the Word made flash, God with us, faith in action, hope and love brought to life.

I see this same essential point in the motto of our Order: Tuitio fidei et obsequium pauperum (Defence of the faith and service to the poor and sick). Pope Leo XIV pointed this out in June when he met with the Grand Master and Members of the Order in Rome. The Holy Father said these two aspects - defence of the faith; and service to the poor - are not separate, but are united in "one and the same charism: a faith that is propagated and safeguarded through loving dedication to the poor, the marginalized, to all those in need of support and help."

Interestingly, Pope Leo emphasised that it is not enough to merely assist the needs of the poor. We must proclaim to them the love of God, both in word and in witness. If we didn't do that, he said, "the Order would lose its religious character and be reduced to a philanthropic organization."

Friends, that is why we must keep personal and communal prayer, and participation in the sacraments, as the driving force of our efforts within the Order of Malta and its Ambulance Corps. We are not simply like secular charities - worthy of course that they are. We are a Christian Order, motivated by the love of God and the hope which does not disappoint. The people of Malta and our ancestors in the Order knew, during the siege, that human efforts alone would never be enough to defeat the invincible and seemingly unstoppable power of the enemy.

And it is the same today. Our troubled world at times appears to be manifesting an indestructible force of evil, where the insatiable quest for power, control, prestige and possessions makes itself known in the horrific violence of war; in exploitation and neglect of the vulnerable; and crimes against the dignity of human life. Our world urgently needs witness to something greater, to the Transcendent, a testimony of faith and hope and love for God. Otherwise our world will slowly but surely destroy itself.

And that is why I give thanks to God today for the incredible witness of the Order of Malta, both here at home in Ireland and around the world. Our amazing Ambulance Corps, founded in Galway in 1938, now operates around 60 units with 2,500 volunteers across Ireland, providing emergency medical assistance, youth cadet programmes, and a whole variety of community services.

The quiet but vital service of our members is evident, for example, in compassionate support for the sick, elderly and disabled pilgrims who travel to Knock and Lourdes throughout the year; in the 'Share to Care' Project which offers respite holidays for disadvantaged families; in the student outreach to the homeless and vulnerable which operates from the Catholic Chaplaincy at Queens University in Belfast; in the 'Knights Run' mission to the homeless in Dublin. You well find our members, ambulances and cadets at countless charity events and projects around the country - from local parish gatherings, to Croagh Patrick on Reek Sunday, to the National Ploughing Championships! And these are just some examples of the many projects which you, and your various branches, are enabling to flourish. Thanks be to God.

But we in the Order know that the work of Faith, Hope and Charity extends well beyond there shores. One of our most important projects is the Holy Family Maternity Hospital mission in Bethlehem, which is supported by Order of Malta Ireland, and which provides essential care in an area with limited health services. This includes a Midwifery Degree Programme in association with Bethlehem University, which benefits from Irish medical expertise in training and mentoring.

Our Order's humanitarian presence is much appreciated in many of the world's most troubled regions, including its outreach to refugees from Syria, and assistance to migrants in the Mediterranean. The Order's medical and relief teams are currently operating in many African and Asian countries as well as in war-torn areas like Ukraine, Gaza and the Lebanon, always wanting to provide essential care and support to those affected by conflict and displacement.

Earlier this year, I had the privilege of being a guest in New York of Ambassador Dr Paul Beresford-Hill, Head of our Order's Mission as a Permanent Observer to the United Nations. I was able to hear first hand from him about the painstaking diplomatic and advocacy work undertaken by the Order of Malta in building peace and supporting human dignity throughout the world. Once more I thank God that in this way we are able to maintain the caring presence of the Order in so many places. With the help of God and our Blessed Mother I pray that we can remain active for years to come as the world's oldest medical mission, committed to serving those most in need.

May God continue to give us all the strength we need to carry out this resolve, forgetful of ourselves, always learning from the Gospel a spirit of deep and generous Christian devotion, and always striving to promote the glory of God and peace in the world. Amen.