(18 Apr 10 - RV) Two images remain burned in the mind of many those of us who accompanied
Pope Benedict XVI to Malta. The face of Lawrence Grech, a victim of abuse by clergy
as a child, in the aftermath of his personal encounter with the Pope in Chapel of
the Apostolic Nunciature in Rabat.. The rosary gifted him by Pope Benedict hung around
his neck, and his words, “peace closure courage.
The second is the face of
Pope Benedict, the face of an 83 year old man, at the helm of a Church that of late
has had to face the worst of storms.
And in the worst of storms the Pastor
of the Universal Church came to Malta. The same Mediterranean Island were 1950 years
ago Paul ran aground and first gave Christian hope to the Maltese people. A faith
that down through the centuries remains undiminished.
In Acts the
Saint himself writes of the people’s hospitality. From Pope Benedict’s arrival at
Luqa international airport Saturday evening they stood four deep on the pavements
to greet him. In Valetta the children filled the air with their song, in St Paul’s
Grotto the living Church of Malta presented Pope Benedict with their many missionaries’
descendents of the great evangeliser.
Twice the Pope appealed to them not
to abandon their faith, not to allow the winds of secularism that blow from continent
distract them.
At Mass in Granary Square Floriana, he said “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”.
To
the 10,000 young people who had sung themselves hoarse waiting for their Pope as he
crossed Grand Harbour, to the sound of ship horn and cannon, he told them not to give
in to peer pressure in a Europe were Gospel values are counter-culture.
“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”.
At Luqa airport Sunday evening the Pope gave
the entire nation a mandate:
“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 But
one memory will remain with me in particular, Fr. John Cassar, a Jesuit Priest and
the refugee’s mural on the walls of his office that spoke of war and of violence,
sea journeys and detention but also a window of blue Maltese sky, and the promise
of hope.
As he took his leave Pope Benedict’s parting words were of Charity:
“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”.