Easter Reflections – part 3

This is the main image of the Resurrected Christ at my first parish in Holy Spirit in New Hyde Park, Long Island, NY. The pastor at the time felt it was more appropriate to use the image of the Risen Christ instead of a crucifix behind the main altar. It also brought a sense of joy among the parishioners. It was customary in those days, the 1980s that the image of the Risen Christ  replace the crucifix to emphasize the victory over sin and death, and everything that is negative and evil, as is reflected in the passion and death of Jesus. There was a tendency to accentuate the positive instead of the negative, and so a vibrant image of the Resurrection brought feelings of happiness after the sombre mood parishioners experienced during the season of Lent. 

Easter Reflections - part 2

This image is once again from Holy Family parish in Hicksville, New York, and shows the main altar decorated during the Holy Hour I used to lead every first Friday of each month. The Monstrance is shown in the foreground, placed on the altar, while in the background are various angels painted blowing trumpets, as other smaller angels are further down surrounded with flowers. The theme of Alleluia is obviously highlighted in this image as we rejoice with the Risen Christ, triumphant over death. Trumpets evoke a sense of joy and glory, especially after the muted music that was prevalent during Lent. And even just looking at them, it elevates your spirit to heaven as we sing and play joyfully the festive music that dominates the Easter season.

St. Gianna Beretta Molla

Born on October 4, 1922, Gianna Beretta was the 10th of 13 children, even though only 8 of the siblings survived infancy. She grew up in Bergamo, Italy where she was very active in the Catholic Action movement. In 1942, in the midst of the chaos of World War II she started her studies in Milan and graduated as a doctor in 1949, specializing in paediatrics. She actually wanted to go to Brazil to work as a paediatrician with her brother, a missionary priest, but her health prevented her from doing this. So she worked happily as a doctor, eventually meeting her future husband Pietro Molla, whom she married in 1955. They had 3 children within 5 years, and in 1961, she was pregnant with her 4th child. During the pregnancy, she developed a fibroma in her uterus, and the doctors suggested her to have an abortion to save her life. But she continued with her pregnancy and the baby was born on April 21, 1962, Easter Saturday. Gianna made the ultimate sacrifice for her daughter, and she got weaker and weaker and died a week later, on April 28, 1962. Her daughter Gianna Emmanuela became a paediatrician herself, and was present with her father and two other siblings at her mother’s beatification in 1994. Another sister had died in 1964, 2 years after her mother. The miracle that certified her canonization was done on a Brazilian woman Elizabetta Comparini, who in her 16th week of pregnancy experienced a tear in her placenta, losing all the amniotic fluid. Praying to Gianna Beretta Molla, she continued with her pregnancy and gave birth to a healthy baby, defying all the negative prognosis the doctors had given her. Gianna was proclaimed a Saint by Pope St John Paul II on May 16, 2004, with her husband and three children present. She has since became the patron for pro-life and for pregnant women, and a great statement against abortion.

Easter Reflections - part 1

Over the next few days I will give a short reflection on images from my past parishes in New York and Oregon. It shows a wooden cross draped with a white cloth, reminiscent of the burial cloth which helped the people to bring Jesus down from the cross, and in which he was eventually wrapped for his burial. The yellow flowers are forsythia which bloom profusely in the spring. In fact, in the middle of winter, or let’s say in late January and early February, I would cut a few branches from this tree and bring them inside. Once they’ve been frozen outside, they would quickly bloom in a little water and a warmer climate. Then I would use them to decorate the sanctuary with these bright yellow flowers, with the people wondering how I got them to bloom in mid-winter. This image portrays the new life which the Risen Christ instils in the parishioners and everyone else driving by this particular parish which was Holy Family in Hicksville, on Long Island, New York.

Handel’s genius

George Frederick Handel (1685-1759) had his ups and downs throughout his life. For a while he was paralyzed and could not walk or write. In the meantime, and before that phase in his life, he had written a lot of operas. When he turned 60, he thought his career was over, but settling in England, he experienced a revival, and wrote the Messiah in 24 days while in England. It is calculated that it has close to a fourth of a million notes, covering the birth, passion and resurrection of Christ, with majestic choral pieces, solos and haunting melodies that culminate with the splendid Hallelujah Chorus. When it was first performed in 1743 in presence of King George II, he was so elated by its beauty that he stood up, and ever since, every time the Hallelujah Chorus is played, people stand up out of respect and sheer enthusiasm. He eventually wrote other oratorios, including one of my favorites 'Israel in Egypt' which contains a lot of splendid choruses.

12 years ago

It was 12 years ago today in 2010 when our mother Mary left us, one day short of her 81st birthday. She is now re-united in a much better place with my sister Josephine, who would have turned 73 last Saturday April 23, and my mother would have turned 93 tomorrow. This photo shows them in a relaxed atmosphere at home after a meal which they hosted for the rest of the family, possibly around Christmas time. Not known for posing for photographs, they are seen here just before they surely took over the clean up after lunch, something they did thousands of times together. May they rest in peace. 

Divine Mercy Sunday

The original by Kazimirowski painted in 1934

The Sunday after Easter will always be known as Divine Mercy Sunday, as people pray the novena handed down to us by St Faustina Kowalska, a Polish nun and visionary, who was pushed away by many church authorities in her time and after her death. But Pope St John Paul, a Polish himself, re‑opened her case and authenticated her visions, and even canonized her in the year 2000, precisely on Divine Mercy Sunday. The faithful pray the novena by reciting 50 times "For the sake of His Sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world." The image of Jesus with white and red rays coming out of his heart has become a popular image among devout Catholics, after it was being condemned for many years. The original painting was painted by Eugeniusz Kazimirowski in 1934 with Sister Faustina's instructions and before her death in 1938. Another popular version of the painting was done by Adolf Hyła painted in 1943.

The blessing of Gino Bartali

Continuing on yesterday’s theme, another object that was to prove invaluable in saving Jews during the war was the bicycle of champion cyclist Gino Bartali. He had won the Giro d’Italia in 1936 and 1937 as well as the Tour de France in 1938. He was one of the most famous Italians at the time of World War II and trained all over Italy. Bartali was a devout Catholic and friends with Florence’s Cardinal Elia Dalla Costa, who officiated at Bartali’s wedding. One day, Cardinal Dalla Costa asked Bartali to help the Church’s quest to save Jews, and from that day forward, Bartali began to bike between Assisi and Florence, picking up and delivering false identity papers. That was a distance of 85 miles, probably more like 100-110 miles with meandering roads. For a professional cyclist like Bartali, that was a piece of cake as most cyclists bike around 150 miles a day during the big Tours. The papers were rolled up and hidden inside the frame of his bicycle. Every Jew in Assisi was saved, as well as countless others in the north of Italy, through these heroic efforts.

Pope Pius XII and the Jews

Few people know the extent to which the Catholic Church, under the orders of Pope Pius XII, worked to save Jews during World War II. The Diocese of Assisi saved every Jew within its borders during the war through a network of clergy and citizens. In 1943, thousands of refugees fled to Assisi, including 300 Jews. Immediately, Bishop Giuseppe Nicolini of Assisi formed a working committee to safeguard Jews by placing them in convents and monasteries. Everything possible was done to help — including the provision of food, clothes and the hiding of religious Jewish objects. In fact, Bishop Nicolini placed these sacred objects in the basement of his own residence and walled it up with his own hands. The Brizi family helped create false identity papers for the Jews with a pedal-operated printing press. They did everything they could to help Jews at the risk of their own lives. Luigi Brizi even added seals of various Southern Italian regions to give his documents greater authenticity. Jews were given different last names and new places of birth in the south of Italy.

Yet the question keeps coming up: Had Pope Pius XII actually done all that he could to save Jews during World War II? After years of researching this issue with a team of international scholars, including pouring through 76,000 documents from archives around the world on matters related to Pope Pius XII, it was concluded that the Pontiff may have done more than any other person to save Jews. Searching the The New York Times and The Palestine Post from 1939 to 1958 on Pius XII and the Jews, there was not one negative article. Then in 1963, Operation Seat 12 began. This was the Russian operation to destroy the reputation of Pope Pius XII because Khrushchev and Stalin hated him and the Catholic Church. The operation’s fabricated stories about Pope Pius XII changed public opinion with regards to this particular Pope toward the negative. It was the worst character assassination of the 20th century. Growing up Jewish, the worst character flaw you can have is ingratitude. This Russian disinformation campaign robbed the Jewish people of the dignity of showing gratitude to the man who actually saved — according to the Jewish historians who lived through the war — 847,000 Jewish lives; all of whom were saved by the Catholic Church under the pontificate of Pope Pius XII. A surprising discovery was called ‘Pacelli’s list’: 2,800 names of Jewish people who were writing to the Pope directly during World War II. These letters came to the secretary of state and were all responded to. The Vatican’s Secretariat of State wrote letters to bishops throughout Europe telling them that they had to do whatever they could to support the Jews and do it with the maximum of secrecy. These were direct instructions of Eugenio Pacelli, while still a Cardinal. Jews were brought to Spain and Portugal to escape. This was done personally by bishops and nuncios, sometimes in collaboration with Franciscans, Dominicans, Jesuits, nuns or laypeople of goodwill. It was also discovered that 17 babies were born in the Pope’s own bed.

A Hollywood star and his faith

Denzel Washington made the news recently for his very pertinent comment to Will Smith after the infamous slap on Chris Rock at the Oscars: “At your highest moment be careful, that’s when the devil comes for you.”  Many people were impressed by the thoughtful quote from the actor, whose father was an ordained Pentecostal minister. But, in fact, it’s not surprising because throughout his career Washington has often made comments that indicate that the only fan who really matters to him is God.  The Hollywood legend, known for hits such as Glory and Man on Fire, has happily spoken of his faith in various interviews. Here are some quotes from Denzel that really make you sit up and think:

"What I do, what I make, what I made — all of that — is that going to help me on the last day of my life? It’s about ‘Who have you lifted up? Who have we made better.'”

“If you don’t have a spiritual anchor you’ll be easily blown by the wind and you’ll be led to depression.”

“My faith helps me understand that circumstances don’t dictate my happiness, my inner peace.”

“True desire in the heart for anything good is God’s proof to you sent beforehand to indicate that it’s yours already.”

“Talent comes from God. If you have been given some, then value it, cultivate it, work and develop it.”

Two Doves

I always knew that my mother and my sister Josephine were very close. She was the first born, and stayed together until my mother passed away in 2010, besides my father passing away in 2002. The coincidence of their deaths was very striking as you can read from yesterday’s post from my homily. But I kept thinking about the two doves that appeared out of nowhere while I was waiting for the bus to go to say Mass at my chapel a day earlier. Now you have to understand that pigeons are very common in Malta, and like everywhere else, they make a mess, but white doves are not common, possibly even rare to see. In anticipation of the funeral Mass, I was concerned that everything would go well and that we can give Josephine the tribute that she deserved. So when the doves descended next to me and kept moving around my feet, I felt that was a message from heaven that everything will go well, as it actually did, with a nice crowd in attendance, and everyone appreciating the entire service. God speaks to us in very surprising and unexpected ways, and the two doves surely drove home the point that they are both watching over us.

Memories of Josephine

Some extracts from my homily during my sister's funeral this morning:

There was a great coincidence between my mother and my sister’s death. Both happened in April through cancer. My mother happened on Sunday morning 12 years ago, and I was praying the Breviary next to her after giving her the Last Rites, and an hour later I had to say Mass at the St. Julian’s church. It was exactly one week after Pope Benedict’s visit. In my sister’s case, I was praying the Breviary as I do daily before my 4:30 PM Mass, and at one moment I felt an overwhelming glow through my body, and I cried for a few seconds, something which I do not often do. They told me afterwards that it was at exactly 4:05 PM when Josephine left the earth for heaven to be united with our parents and her brother Paul. I knew that God talked to me at that moment, as if to tell me ‘she here’s safely with me.’ Then I garnered enough courage to celebrate Mass. Like my mother, Josephine died a week after Pope Francis’s visit. 

Then just yesterday, as I was waiting for the bus to go and say Mass as I do daily at my chapel at Hilltop Gardens, two white doves descended next to me and were pacing around me for a few minutes until the bus arrived. I felt they were sent by God to tell me everything will be fine for tomorrow's funeral, as I was concerned - but they represented my sister and my mother assuring me that everything will be fine, and that they are together in heaven with my father. (Now we have plenty of pigeons, which make a mess everywhere, but white doves are not that common.)

St. Teresa of Calcutta used to say that the ideal Christian does not do extraordinary things in life, but rather ordinary things with a great heart, with lots of love. And Josephine did this throughout her entire life – with sincere love, towards us, and everyone who knew her.

Josephine was one of those people who would follow a strict routine once she learned something. The way she washed clothes, cleans, how she prepares things, how she makes sure there are enough Twistees, candy and biscuits for nephews Julian and Peter when they were younger, heading to the secret cupboard where she stored all her goodies. And when she called me in my American parishes, every Saturday, exactly at 5:45 AM (Malta time in the afternoon) and I would keep my hands on the phone, because she never missed by more than a few seconds, 5:45 AM on the button.

All of us siblings saw her suffer during the last few years and we did everything we could to alleviate the pain she endured so bravely. The last 2 days especially were traumatic hours, and we know that the doctors and nurses, and our two nephews doctors Julian and Peter did all they could, but the Lord wanted her with him for this Holy Week. And myself, with the articles that I write and the thousands of homilies that I preached, I probably have not influenced other people as much as my sister did with her silence and prudence and simplicity. She taught me that I can do so much more good in life by what I don’t say, rather with what I say, often without thinking first.

And one final thing I learned from my sister over the last few months. Let us learn never to judge those who are suffering, because we cannot really enter their bodies and experience even a tiny bit of what they are going through. Instead of criticizing them and ignoring them or minimizing their discomfort, let us show compassion and help them the best way we can. As Pope Francis said recently in an interview, all we can offer in the midst of pain and suffering, is silence, as my sister did. And let us never take each other for granted. I Thank you Lord that you gave us a person who through her patience and simplicity, obeyed you faithfully, served us humbly, and spoke with her prudent silence, pregnant with love. Her eloquent silence endeared her to many friends who admired her for her humility, meekness and gentleness – and that is why everybody loved her.

The Dogwood and the Lily

According to legend, the dogwood tree (Cornus florida) at one time grew upright, tall and strong. Its wood had many uses - which was why it was apparently chosen to become the wood of the cross on which Jesus died. In response, God both cursed and blessed the dogwood. It would never again be tall and straight so that it could never again be used in a crucifixion.  At the same time, for evermore, the tree would be a reminder of both Good Friday and Easter Sunday. Its beautiful snowy-white blossoms flower just in time for Easter have four petals in the shape of a cross. It also has indented petals, reminiscent of the holes made by the nails which occasionally may have spots of colour, reminding us of drops of Jesus' blood. The petals also have tightly-grouped stamens and pistils resembling the crown of thorns.

Easter lilies (Lilium longiflorum) grow so easily in various countries and are the main flower type used to adorn the altars on Easter and beyond. But did you know that a cluster of Easter lilies is sometimes described as "white-robed apostles of hope"? The lily is sometimes also called a "trumpet lily" because it is thought to proclaim the resurrection. The Easter lily is full of symbolism: trumpet shaped they are heralds of the resurrection, of rebirth and hope. Their colour, white symbolise the purity and sinlessness of Jesus. The bulbs which are buried underground for three years before they flower are reminiscent of Jesus' three days in the tomb. A trick I learned is to cut off the anther at the tip of the stamen, before the yellowish powder starts dropping and staining the lily. That triggers the death process of the plant, but if you’re quick enough to clip the anther in time, the plant would last an extra two to three weeks.

Alleluia - He is Risen

                        
He is truly Risen! Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!

He brings a Prayerful Life to someone searching for meaning and direction.
He brings Peace to those who are always worried and uptight.
He brings Victory out of defeat.
He brings Joy to those who cannot seem to smile anymore.
He brings a Beautiful Baby to her who was premeditating an abortion.
He brings Light to those who are living in darkness.
He brings Enlightenment and Understanding to those couples whose marriage has been more of a struggle than a Joy.
He brings Hope out of despair.
He brings New Life to those worried about dying.
He brings Peace to this world ravaged by war and fighting and oppression.
He brings Love and Reconciliation to those harboring thoughts of revenge and hate.
He brings Optimism in a world tormented by pessimism.

George Cross

The medal and the letter

After reflecting on Jesus on the Cross yesterday, today I share a reflection on another cross, one that our country Malta received 80 years ago. This was a medal given to the Maltese people fort heir bravery during the relentless bombing they received during World War II. It is known as the George Cross, which eventually was incorporated in the Maltese national flag. These are the words written by King George VI of Great Britain, 80 years ago yesterday: ‘To honor her brave people, I award the George Cross to the Island Fortress of Malta to bear witness to a heroism and devotion that will long be famous in history.’

The official presentation of the Medal to the Chief Justice

No less than 3,340 air-raids were given up to August 1944, during which, no less than a total of 1,468 civilians were killed and a further 3,720 injured. It was estimated that 17,000 tons of bombs were dropped on Malta, which became on of the heaviest bombed places in the world. The incessant bombing resulted in 30,000 buildings destroyed or damaged, including many private residences, churches, clubs, hotels, centuries-old auberges as well as the major Royal Opera House which was hit on April 7, 1942. About 2,000 underground shelters had to be dug up for people to hide from the falling bombs. April 1942 happened to be the worst month as 6,7027 tons of bombs were dropped, resulting in the deaths of 339 civilians and 208 servicemen in just one month, apart from the widespread damage.

The Maltese flag with the George Cross

While the award was announced on 15th April 1942, it would not be presented to the Maltese until the 13th September of that year due to the constant bombing during the summer months. 

Good Friday

Crucifixion statue from Vittoriosa, Malta

The most solemn day of the liturgical year gives me the opportunity to share with you a few photos of this solemn and sombre celebration as it is presented in Malta. The Solemn celebration is held in most parish at 3 PM, the hour when Jesus died. This is followed in a few parishes by the procession with statues depicting various scenes from the Passion and Death of Jesus. Various exhibitions are held in parish centres and private homes depicting scenes from the Last Supper, especially with plates made from pasta, rice, semolina and beans with symbols and paintings related to this week.

A Last Supper painting by Emvin Cremona, a plate made with semolina

Good Friday procession from the town of Għaxaq, Malta

A typical Holy Week exhibition held at Zejtun, Malta

Holy Thursday

Baroque Altar of Repose at the Mdina Cathedral, Malta

Holy Thursday is a very special day for all priests and Catholics alike. Traditionally the Chrism Mass is held in the morning in most Dioceses, while in the evening the re-enactment of the Last Supper is celebrated with the foot-washing ceremony held in each church. In Malta and other countries, a very elaborate and decorative Altar of Repose is set up with flowers, candles, angels and other religious symbols. After the Mass in the evening, parishioners would visit these altars which are set up in every church and even small chapels, praying in vigil late into the night, and even sometimes on Friday morning. 

These photos show only a sample of some altars decorated as beautifully as the Blessed Sacrament deserves. Click on each photo to admire the painstaking detail people go through to decorate these altars, which are frequently disassembled on Friday afternoon, just before the Good Friday Service.

Remembering my sister

Josephine Cassar (April 23, 1949 - April 12, 2022)

Please remember my sister Josephine, who passed away peacefully yesterday afternoon at Mater Dei Hospital in Malta, at the age of 72, 11 days short of her 73rd birthday. She is now reunited with our parents John and Mary and our brother Paul, as another beautiful flower from our family bouquet has wilted, now transplanted and embellishing God’s garden in Heaven. May God grant her eternal rest, and give comfort to our family.

Solemn Holy Week procession

A devotional procession was held yesterday at the capital city of Valletta in Malta, with thousands of devotees following the statue of Our Lady of Sorrow. A miraculous image of the crucified Christ was also carried through the streets, to pray for an end to war and to the pandemic. Other parish held similar processions too. The crucifix was sculpted by the Sicilian friar Innocenzo da Petralia Sottana around 1630, and was recently restored. 

The miraculous crucifix venerated at the Franciscan church of St Mary of Jesus (Ta' Ġieżu), Valletta, was brought out in procession for the first time in many years. Solemn procession will be held on Good Friday in a dozen other parishes, with as many as 12 statues being carried through the streets, as well as many biblical figures, Roman soldiers, even horses.

Palm Sunday

Pope Francis with a decorative bouquet of palms during Palm Sunday

Three plants dominate this Sunday. Most popular among them are palms, which unfortunately are not common in all countries. In Malta for example, we use olive branches. On the other hand, the Greek Orthodox community use pussy-willow when they celebrate their Palm Sunday and Easter celebrations. Palms are from the Arecaceae family of perennial flowering plants with around 2,600 species known, most of which are restricted to tropical and sub-tropical climates.

The olive, botanical name Olea europaea, meaning 'European olive', is a species of small tree or shrub in the family Oleaceae, found traditionally in the Mediterranean Basin.  Olive trees produce and abundance of olives and they are especially popular in Greece and Italy, as well as Malta.

Pussy willow is a name given to many of the smaller species of the genus Salix (willows and sallows) when their furry catkins are young in early spring. Ruthenian, Polish, Romanian, Czech, Slovak, Bavarian, and Austrian Roman Catholics; Finnish and Baltic Lutherans and Orthodox; and various other Eastern European peoples carry pussy willows on Palm Sunday instead of palm branches.  

Passion and Easter flowers - part 1

Over the next 3 days, I will share some information about flowers and plants popular during Passion week, Holy Week and Easter:

The Judas Tree

This tree (Cercis siliquastrum) with its abundance of purple/pink flowers is very familiar in many countries around the Holy Week and Easter period. Italian tradition has it that the buds wait for Holy Week in order to blossom. Tradition also tells that the flowers were white before Judas hanged himself from the tree, at which point the flowers blushed for shame. From that point in time, the tree became known as the "Judas Tree" and chose to flower in Holy Week in order to remind us of the part that Judas played in Jesus' passion, death and resurrection.

Passion flower

The Passion Flower (Passiflora) which grows wild in many gardens is full of symbolism - hence it’s name. The three stamens represent the three nails which pierced Jesus' hands and feet or the three crosses - of Jesus and the two thieves . The circle of ten petals symbolise Jesus' crown of thorns. The leaves represent the spear that went into the side of Jesus. The passion flower normally lasts for three days and reminds us of the three days Jesus spent in the tomb.

Our Lady of Sorrows

We honor today the Sorrowful Mother as she stands by the cross waiting for her Son to die, His body to be placed on her lap soon afterwards. An image that has been painted, sculpted and drawn by many artists. Many countries honor the Sorrowful Mother (Mater Dolorosa) on this Friday before Holy Week, as thousands of people accompany the procession held in each parish, also attending Mass and going to confession on a day of atonement and repentance. Statues like the one above are kept in every parish church and are carried in procession today.

O Blessed Mother, who had to see your Son grow into a handsome young man, and then let Him go, we ask your protection on our children and young people. May they feel protected from the world's dangers, and feel safe in your care. As you saw your Son tortured and killed, we pray for those mothers who had to see their children killed in wars, sudden accidents, through suicides, a drug overdose and other terrible disasters. May these mothers find compassion in you, O Blessed Mother, and we ask that you give them the comfort they so much desire. This week we stand by you, and suffer with you, as we witness once again the passion, death and eventual resurrection of your Son, Jesus Christ.

Gifts and exchanges

My last entry about Pope Francis’s visit to Malta deals with the gifts that were exchanged between the Pope, the President and the Archbishop. Pope Francis gave as a gift to the President of Malta a medallion of Saint Paul. It shows the statue of St Paul by Melchiore Gafa with church steeples in the background including the one of Ta’ Pinu which the Pope visited on Saturday. The wording says Visit Melitam Aprilis 2-3 MMXXII (Visit to Malta April 2-3, 2022)

In exchange the President presented Pope Francis with a painting by Gozitan artist Manuel Farrugia depicting Saint Paul holding the scriptures in his hand with the words from the Maltese National Anthem, ‘Seddaq il-għaqda fil-Maltin u s-Sliem’ (Impart Unity among the Maltese, and Peace.) Farrugia is one of the young budding artists who creates very realistic and human figures.

The other gift was presented by the Archbishop at the end of the Mass on Sunday morning. It was a painting of the story of the Gospel of that Sunday, the story of the adulterous woman. It was painted in watercolors by Maltese artist John Martin Borg. The same painting was also used in the front page of the booklet distributed during the Mass. It shows Jesus attaching Himself to the remorseful woman through the red robe she was wearing. As the scribes stood standing looking angrily with stones in their hands, on the left in the shade one of the Scribes holds a scroll with the law the Jews quoted to stone the woman. The contrast between the rich elaborate clothing of the Scribes and the tattered clothing of the woman is also very striking. (Click on each photo to enlarge)

Last words from Francis

These are just a few important remarks Pope Francis gave the people of Malta to ponder over before he left Malta on Sunday. They should be the salient points to meditate on, over the next few months and years:

He stressed the importance of working together, of preferring cohesion to division, and of strengthening the shared roots and values that have forged Maltese society in its uniqueness.

He called for more concrete action, warning that the Mediterranean Sea should not become the biggest cemetery of Europe. Unfortunately, the east – the land of sunrise – is now threatened by the dark shadows of war.

The Pope’s strongest words were directed towards “some potentate, sadly caught up in anachronistic claims of nationalist interests” who is “provoking and fomenting conflicts” (a clear reference to Putin.) He also mentioned the humanitarian tragedies that seem to have been forgotten, such as Yemen and Syria.

Public debates tend to be uninspiring and insular. For example, discussions on the war in Ukraine are scant, except when this concerns rising prices. Migration is only spoken of in terms of a burden.

He emphasised values such as honesty, justice, duty and transparency – essential pillars of a mature civil society.

He spoke about defending life and not discarding the rightful dignity of workers, the elderly and the sick.

He challenged us to ensure that religious practices do not get reduced to relics from the past but become an expression of a living, open faith that spreads the joy of the Gospel.

His parting words: Let us not be tricked by those who say ‘nothing can be done, ‘such problems are too big for us’, ‘I care for myself, and the others care for themselves’… let us answer the challenges concerned with all of humanity.

Moments with the Pope

These are some special moments with Pope Francis during his two-day visit among us. The first one is a personal favorite as it affected me personally. While visiting the migrants, their priest-friar, Fr Dionysius Mintoff presented the Pope with a gift from the migrants, but then he also offered him two copies of the newspaper ‘Leħen is-Sewwa’ (Voice of Truth) in which I’ve been writing for the past 36 years. Incidentally the copy that he offered him was a special issue about the Pope, in which I wrote a whole page of different stories and anecdotes about Pope Francis. You can see him in this treasured photo as he leafs through the paper, now in its 94th year of publication. He was actually given two copies, one which he signed and left at the Migrant Center, and the other one he took with him. I was so honored and touched by this gesture, as well as for the recognition that this paper deservedly received.

The other one happened a few minutes later when the Pope met one of the main organizers of this visit, Kevin Papagiorcopulo, who was with his wife. Apparently Kevin told the Pope that they were expecting another baby, and instantly the Pope blessed the unborn child and touched the tummy of Kevin’s wife, in a gesture that affirms life and giving a strong pro-life statement. 20 years ago, Kevin used to interview me every week from New York after the Twin Towers collapse on September 11, 2001.

And finally, while still on the plane returning to Rome, the Pope tweeted this message to the Maltese people. It can easily be read here if you simple enlarge it. Thank you Pope Francis.

Pope Francis speaks....

The crowd attending the Papal Mass at Floriana yesterday

Pope Francis’ visit to Malta ended yesterday evening after meeting a group of migrants. In the morning I was honored to concelebrate with him and around 600 priests and bishops. Towards the end of the Mass he offered this message with the thousands of people present:  “These islands breathe a sense of the People of God. May you continue to do so, mindful that faith grows in joy and is strengthened in giving. Forge further links in the chain of holiness that has led so many Maltese to devote their lives with enthusiasm to God and to others. I think, for example, of Saint Ġorġ Preca, canonized fifteen years ago. Finally, I would like to say a word to the young, who are your future. Dear friends, I want to share with you the most beautiful thing in life. Do you know what it is? It is the joy of giving ourselves completely in love, which makes us free. That joy has a name: it is Jesus. I wish you the beauty of falling in love with Jesus, the God of mercy, who believes in you, dreams with you, loves your lives and will never disappoint you. May the Lord accompany you, and Our Lady keep you. I will bring back many memories of the events and conversations of these days. Above all, I will remember many of your faces, as well as the luminous face of Malta! I thank all those who worked so hard to prepare for this visit, and I cordially greet our brothers and sisters of the different Christian denominations and religions whom I have met in these days. I ask all of you to pray for me, as I will for you. Let us pray for one another.” These photos were taken from TV and may not be very clear, but they give you a taste of his presence here in Malta over the last few days. More photos to come over the next few days.

The main altar with pope Francis celebrating the Mass

Pope Francis speaks to the crowd

All of us 600 priests processing in for the Mass

One of the newspapers got me on the left during our entrance procession

Pope Francis here speaks at Gozo, our sister island on Saturday evening.