The Pope speaks about Malta

Caravaggio - 'The conversion of St. Paul.'

On this feast of the Conversion of St Paul, I would like to share something special that happened this week, as Pope Francis spoke about Malta and how the natives 2000 years ago welcomed St Paul, He urged men and women of goodwill to promote and practice a culture of welcome, especially towards vulnerable migrants in search of a better life. He decried recent government policies that have seen migrant ships in the Mediterranean be denied access to a safe port. Speaking during his General Audience on Wednesday, the Pope referred to the passage in the Acts of the Apostles in which St Paul is shipwrecked on the island of Malta. The Pope compared St Paul and his companions to the migrants of today. “The hospitality they received from the people of Malta,” said the Pope, “reflects the love of God.”
Today, the sea on which Paul and his companions were shipwrecked is, once again, a dangerous place for the lives of other sailors. All over the world migrant men and women face risky voyages to escape violence, to escape war, to escape poverty. Pope Francis said that many times, just as Paul and his companions did, those who are travelling experience indifference; the hostility of the desert, the rivers, the seas.
The theme chosen for this year’s Week of Prayer for Christian Unity is “hospitality”. “Being brothers and sisters in Christ means recognising each other as such," said the Pope. St Paul and his companions were given shelter by the Maltese people from the rain, food, and fire to keep warm.”  The Pope continued, “Upon reaching land, they experienced something new: this ‘rare humanity’, after the violence of the ocean. As Christians, we must learn to work together to show migrants this love of God. “We must work together to practice hospitality, especially towards those whose lives are most vulnerable” as this will “will make us better human beings, better disciples, and a more united Christian people”.