Pope Francis dedicated his catechesis to the apostolic trip to Malta during the General Audience this Wednesday, April 6.
“As Bishop of Rome, I went to confirm that people in faith and in communion. In fact, Malta is a key place also from the point of view of evangelization. From Malta and Gozo, the two dioceses of the country, have come many priests and religious, but also lay faithful, who have brought Christian, witness, to the whole world. As if the passage of Saint Paul had left the mission in the DNA of the Maltese! That is why my visit has been above all an act of recognition, recognition of God and his faithful holy people who are in Malta and in Gozo”, the Holy Father pointed out.
Following is the catechesis pronounced by Pope Francis:
Dear brothers and sisters, good morning!
Last Saturday and Sunday I was in Malta: an apostolic trip that had been scheduled for a long time. Few know that Malta, even being an island in the middle of the Mediterranean, received the Gospel very soon, because the apostle Paul was shipwrecked near its coast and miraculously saved with all those who were on the ship, more than two hundred and seventy people.
The book of the Acts of the Apostles tells that the Maltese welcomed them all with “a rare humanity” (28,2), this is important, do not forget, with a rare humanity.
I have chosen precisely these words: with a rare humanity, as the motto of my trip, because they indicate the path to follow not only to face the phenomenon of migrants, but more generally so that the world becomes more fraternal, more livable, and be saved from a “shipwreck” that threatens all of us, who are – as we have learned – in the same boat. Everyone.
Malta is, on this horizon, a key place. It is above all geographically, due to its position in the center of the Sea that is between Europe and Africa, but which also bathes Asia. Malta is a kind of “compass rose”, where peoples and cultures intersect; It is a privileged point to observe the Mediterranean area at 360 degrees. Today we often speak of “geopolitics”, but unfortunately the dominant logic is that of the strategies of the most powerful States to assert their own interests by expanding the area of economic, ideological and military influence. We are seeing it with war. Malta represents, in this framework, the right and strength of the “little ones”, of the small Nations but rich in history and civilization, which should carry out another logic: that of respect and freedom, of the conviviality of differences, opposed to the colonization of the most powerful. We are seeing it now, not only in one part, but in others.
After the Second World War, attempts have been made to lay the foundations for a new history of peace, but unfortunately we do not learn, the old history of great competing powers has gone forward. And, in the current war in Ukraine, we are witnessing the impotence of the United Nations Organization.
Second aspect: Malta is a key place as far as the phenomenon of migration is concerned. At the Juan XXIII Reception Center I met numerous migrants who landed on the island after terrible journeys. One must not get tired of listening to their testimonies, because only then can one get out of the distorted vision that often circulates in the media and can recognize the faces, stories, wounds, dreams and hopes of these migrants.
Each migrant is unique, he is not a number, he is a person, he is unique, like one of us. Each migrant is a person with his dignity, his roots, his culture. Each one of them is the bearer of a wealth infinitely greater than the problems that their reception may imply. Let us not forget that Europe was shaped by migrations.
Certainly, the reception must be organized, it is true, it must be governed, and before, much before, it must be projected together, at an international level. Because the migratory phenomenon cannot be reduced to an emergency, it is a sign of our times. As such it must be read and interpreted. It can become a sign of conflict, or a sign of peace. It depends on us.
Whoever in Malta has given life to the John XXIII Center has made the Christian choice and for this reason has called it “Peace Lab”: peace laboratory. But I would like to say that Malta as a whole is a laboratory of peace! The whole country, with its attitude, is a peace laboratory.
And he can carry out this mission of his if, from his roots, he draws the sap of fraternity, compassion, solidarity. The Maltese people have received these values along with the Gospel, and thanks to the Gospel they will be able to keep them alive.
For this, as Bishop of Rome, I went to confirm that people in faith and in communion. In fact – third aspect – Malta is a key place also from the point of view of evangelization. From Malta and Gozo, the two dioceses of the country, have come many priests and religious, but also lay faithful, who have brought Christian witness to the whole world. As if the passage of Saint Paul had left the mission in the DNA of the Maltese! That is why my visit has been, above all, an act of recognition, recognition of God and his faithful holy people who are in Malta and Gozo.
However, the wind of secularism and globalized pseudo-culture based on consumerism, neo-capitalism and relativism also blows there. There too, for this reason, it is time for a new evangelization.
The visit that, like my predecessors, I made to the Grotto of Saint Paul has been like going to the source, so that the Gospel can sprout in Malta with the freshness of its origins and revive its great heritage of popular religiosity.
This is symbolized in the National Marian Shrine of Ta’ Pinu, on the island of Gozo, where we celebrate an intense prayer meeting. There I felt the heartbeat of the Maltese people, who trust so much in their Holy Mother. Mary always leads us to what is essential, to Christ crucified and risen for us, to his merciful love. Mary helps us rekindle the flame of faith by drawing on the fire of the Holy Spirit, who animates from generation to generation the joyful proclamation of the Gospel, because the joy of the Church is to evangelize! Let us not forget the phrase of Saint Paul VI: the vocation of the Church is to evangelize, the joy of the Church is to evangelize, let us not forget this, it is the most beautiful definition of the Church.
I take this opportunity to renew my gratitude to the President of the Republic of Malta, very kind, a brother, many thanks to him, his family, the Prime Minister and the other civil authorities, who have welcomed me with such kindness; as well as the bishops and all the members of the ecclesial community, the volunteers and those who have accompanied me with prayer.
I would also like to recall the Juan XXIII migrant center, there the Franciscan friar who runs it is 91 years old and continues to work like this, with collaborators from the diocese, he is an example of apostolic zeal and love for migrants that is so necessary today .
We, in fact, sow, but it is the Lord who makes us grow. May his infinite goodness grant abundant fruits of peace and all good to the beloved Maltese people! Thanks to the Maltese people for their very humane, Christian welcome, thank you very much.
(This news is published in the Spanish site ACI Prensa)