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March 31, 2022By Devin Watkins
Catholics in Malta are eagerly awaiting the arrival of Pope Francis, who visits the Mediterranean island nation on 2-3 April.
Ahead of the Apostolic Journey, Archbishop Charles Scicluna of Malta spoke to Vatican News about his expectations for the papal visit.
“The Pope always surprises us by his spontaneous gestures, and after the trip we will be able to say: ‘Now, that was not in the programme, but that remains with me.’”
Reconciliation amid Ukraine war
The Maltese Archbishop noted that the Pope’s visit comes in the midst of the crisis surrounding Russia’s war in Ukraine, adding that he will likely offer a message of peace and reconciliation for the world.
Pope Francis will celebrate Mass in the city of Floriana on Sunday, as the Church’s liturgy focuses on the Gospel account of Jesus’ meeting with the woman caught in adultery.
Archbishop Scicluna said the gospel episode shows how the woman’s wretched state (misera in Latin, to quote St. Augustine) meets the mercy of God in Jesus, a symbol of our own need for reconciliation with God in this crisis.
“The Pope is going to preach to us Maltese, and to the world from Malta, in a context that the whole world needs to listen to the gospel of reconciliation, to Jesus Christ who does not condemn but gives the possibility of a new beginning.”
Prophetic voice
Pope Francis is following in the footsteps of his predecessor, Benedict XVI, who visited Malta in April 2010, after a group of sexual abuse survivors came forward with accusations against members of the clergy. The Maltese Church issued a formal apology shortly before the Pope’s visit, and Benedict met with eight abuse survivors.
Archbishop Scicluna said the Church in Malta has been carefully implementing Pope Francis magisterium and new guidelines regarding alleged abuse cases.
“I think that Pope Francis has been prophetic enough in his magisterium, in his words, in his gestures, and has pointed the way towards reconciliation in a situation and in circumstances that are very difficult.”
The Archbishop added that Pope Francis recently expressed his care for survivors of abuse by meeting this week with several delegation of Indigenous peoples, many of whom suffered abuse at residential schools in Canada.
However, added Archbishop Scicluna, the Pope “cannot do this on his own, because the local churches need to listen to the leadership of the Holy Father and also follow the guidelines that are now obviously very clear that need to be implemented on the ground.”
The Church, he said, needs to learn to dialogue with survivors of abuse and with society. “There is no other option but to get this right,” he added.
Full of surprises
Asked what he felt would be the highlight of the Pope’s visit to Malta, Archbishop Scicluna acknowledged that the celebration of the Eucharist is always the high point of every papal journey.
However, he added, Pope Francis is known for his spontaneous gestures that often speak more forcefully than any scripted comment or action.
He said the Pope is always full of surprises: “So, I wonder what we'll be able to say on Monday after all this goes, and let's pray it goes well.”
