Much needed papal visit

On the solemnity of the Shipwreck of St Paul in Malta, Archbishop Charles Scicluna and President George Vella announced that Pope Francis would be visiting Malta in May. His visit will coincide with the feast of Pentecost. In my piece for The Times of Malta (19.II.2020), I discuss the significance of this trip:

"Pope Francis’s visit should be an opportunity to hark back to the message which Paul sought to bring to these shores. It remains a message which is as pressing now as it was in Paul’s time.

The message of Christ, after all, is not necessarily one of abstract unity but of disruption; of challenging attitudes and encouraging change which is not rooted in political whims and fads but something far greater than the sum of the individual.

It is because of this final point that the theme chosen for this visit is particularly apt. The “unusual kindness” we read about in Acts 28 should be viewed as less of a flattering comment and more of a benchmark – a standard which is much needed, not only with those who come to our shores but also among ourselves as a society."

The full piece may be read on The Times of Malta website.