Pope Francis to visit Malta

Pope Francis will celebrate Pentecost in Malta, the island-nation where St. Paul was shipwrecked and where thousands of migrants and refugees continue to seek welcome and shelter. The Vatican announced Feb. 10 that the pope would visit the islands of Malta and Gozo May 31, Pentecost. It is the first papal trip confirmed for 2020. The theme of the visit would be taken from the Acts of the Apostles’ description of how the Maltese people treated St. Paul and the 275 others aboard the storm-tossed boat: “They showed us unusual kindness.” The official logo for the trip shows hands reaching up to the cross, a sign a Christian’s welcome of his neighbor and assistance of those in difficulty. Archbishop Charles Scicluna of Malta said that since the quote from the Acts of the Apostles was used in January for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, Pope Francis already had offered several meditations on the verse. The verse, the archbishop said, is “a reminder that we need to welcome each other, to forgive each other and to welcome migrants who knock on the shores of our island seeking a safe haven and human dignity.” Like Italy and Greece, since 2015 Malta has been a major destination for migrants and refugees fleeing violence in the Middle East or extreme poverty in Africa. Pope Francis plans to visit both Malta and the sister island of Gozo, lead Eucharistic celebrations as well as a possible visit to migrant camps. The official program will be released at a later date, but much preparatory work has already started. This will be the 4th official visit by a Pope. St John Paul visited Malta in 1990 and 2001, while Pope Benedict XVI visited Malta in 2010.