Times of Malta: Sunday, 18th April 2010.
Wrap-up: Pope Benedict's historic Malta visit ends
Pope Benedict's 27-hour visit to
Malta came to an end this evening after it made the international headlines when
the pontiff looked the child abuse issue in the eye by holding an unscheduled
meeting with its victims.
The meeting, at the Apostolic Nunciature, was a historic first for the pontiff
and appeared aimed at reinforcing the Pope's expressions of regret, especially
in his letter to the Irish bishops a few weeks ago.
The Holy See described the Pope's meeting with the victims as deeply moving. The
victims themselves praised the Pope for his courage in meeting them and said the
35-minute encounter had given them peace in their hearts.
Earlier in the day, a crowd of some 50,000 people gathered in a drizzle for
Papal Mass on the granaries in Floriana. The sun came out shortly before the
Pope arrived at the historic square, where, in his homily he urged the Maltese
people to reserve the faith and values
"No visitor to Malta could fail to be impressed by the devotion of your people,
the vibrant faith manifested in your feast-day celebrations, the beauty of your
churches and shrines. But that gift needs to be shared with others, it needs to
be articulated, he said."
ENTHUSIASM
The Pope was received with enthusiasm wherever he went. People turned up in
their hundreds particularly at Paola and Kalkara.
At the latter, the Pope boarded a catamaran for his crossing of Grand Harbour,
accompanied by a flotilla of almost 100 small boats.
The Valletta Waterfront was heaving with some 10,000 young people who had been
singing for some four hours before the Pontiff arrived.
The Pope told them that other nations could learn from Malta's Christian
example.
"Here in Malta, you live in a society that is steeped in Christian faith and
values. You should be proud that your country both defends the unborn and
promotes stable family life by saying no to abortion and divorce. I urge you to
maintain this courageous witness to the sanctity of life and the centrality of
marriage and family life for a healthy society.
"In Malta and Gozo, families know how to value and care for their elderly and
infirm members, and they welcome children as gifts from God. Other nations can
learn from your Christian example."
The Pope's reference to other countries needing to follow Malta's example
appeared to echo the call made 20 years ago in Malta by Pope John Paul II, who
said that Europe needed Malta's faithful witness.
The Pope summed up his message to Malta in four lines in an address at the
airport before departure.
"Be an example, at home and abroad, of dynamic Christian living. Be proud of
your Christian vocation. Cherish your religious and cultural heritage. Look to
the future with hope, with profound respect for God's creation, with reverence
for human life, and with high esteem for marriage and the integrity of the
family. Kunu wlied denji ta' San Pawl."
IMMIGRATION
He also again referred to illegal immigration.
"I am aware of the difficulties that welcoming a large number of people may
cause, difficulties which cannot be solved by any country of first arrival on
its own. At the same time, I am confident that, on the strength of its Christian
roots and its long and proud history of welcoming strangers, Malta will
endeavour, with the support of other states and international organisations, to
come to the aid of those who arrive here and to ensure that their rights be
respected."
The two-day visit was a mixture of celebration and spirituality. The high point
of celebration was undoubtedly the huge welcome which some 5,000 cheering
children gave His Holiness at the Palace Square, Valletta, yesterday. The
children sang Happy Birthday to the pontiff in four languages as he waved from
the Palace balcony, and he praised them for their enthusiasm.
The cacophony of the Palace Square was later replaced by the silent stillness of
St Paul's Grotto, where the Pope prayed, alone and in silence, before a statue
of St Paul in Malta's most important shrine.
The organisation of the visit went without a hitch, the only real worry having
been that a cloud of volcanic ash drifting over Europe could have hindered the
Pope's departure from Rome, or his return.
As it were, the Pope arrived in Malta with the Church under a cloud, and he must
have left here satisfied that his visit had gone a long way to lifting it.