Pope Francis to visit Malta in April

Valletata, Malta. Photo by Ludovica Dri on Unsplash

Source: Vatican News

The Vatican has announced that Pope Francis will make a two day visit to Malta at the beginning of April 2022.

A Holy See Press Office statement said: "Accepting the invitation of the President of the Republic of Malta, the civil authorities and the Catholic Church of the country, His Holiness Pope Francis will make an Apostolic Journey to Malta from 2 to 3 April 2022, visiting the cities of Valletta, Rabat, Floriana and the island of Gozo."

The programme and further details of the journey will be announced in the near future.

The Pope was originally scheduled to visit Malta on 31 May 2020, but that journey was postponed because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The theme of the apostolic journey is: 'They showed us unusual kindness' - referencing the hospitality shown to St Paul by the Maltese when a ship carrying him to Rome was shipwrecked there in 60 AD. It is meant to highlight the plight of the refugees and migrants who cross the Mediterranean toward Europe, and be a source of encouragement for new evangelisation in the island nation.

Two previous Popes have made apostolic visits to Malta: Pope St John Paul II visited Malta in 1990 and 2001. Pope Benedict XVI visited in 2010. Pope St John Paul II beatified George Preca, who became Malta's first Saint in 2007.