Pope Leaves Malta, An Island of Faith

(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”.