ADDRESS BY H.E. PROF. GUIDO DE MARCO, PRESIDENT OF MALTA, ON THE OCCASION OF THE VISIT TO MALTA BY HIS HOLINESS POPE JOHN PAUL II, AT THE ARRIVAL CEREMONY, AT THE MALTA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT

Santit'?,
Nilqghek ghan-nom tal-Gvern u tal-poplu ta' Malta.

[Your Holiness,
I welcome You on behalf of the Government and people of Malta.]

Just as the Maltese welcomed Paul the Apostle shipwrecked on this Island, so do we today welcome You on this the last lap of your journey linked to the evangelising mission of St Paul, rendered holy and historic in the Acts of the Apostles.

I had the privilege of visiting Your Holiness on the 16th of September, 1999. I expressed to You in my Reflections that the Maltese people look towards You and the Institution of the Church as a fountain of hope. "A hope for a world which may continue to grow in optimism and understanding, a hope for a world built on the notion of solidarity." I continued saying that "Your Holiness has been witness to the depth of our commitment as a people and as a nation. It is a commitment which we hope you may come to witness again on our shores in particular in the light of the recent declaration of attributes of holiness to the Venerable Monsignor Gorg Preca, who, amongst others of our people, gave witness to their faith."

Your Holiness,

You have granted my request and that of the people of Malta in that You have come again to our shores, for the beatification process of Mons. Gorg Preca, Ignazio Falzon and Sr Adeodata Pisani.

Your visit here, following the path which Revelation itself has taken, is in accordance to what St Paul revealed to his fellow voyagers, when the angel had told him,

"In insulam autem quondam oportet nos devenire."

[We have to arrive on a certain Island.]

It is this oportet of Providence that has linked the Island of Malta to a faith which is eternal, to a love built on the sacrifice of the Son of Man, to a universality inspired by unity in fullness.

Reading the account of St Paul's shipwreck and stay in Malta, one relives the character and hospitality of the people of these Islands.

"Once safely on shore, we found that the Island was called Malta. The islanders showed us unusual kindness. They built a fire and welcomed us all because it was raining and cold."

For the Maltese people, our faith is our country's greatest asset. In a world which needs the building of a warming fire because of the rain and cold, You have, Your Holiness, been a driving force of change.

Your moral stature was fundamental in tearing down the Iron Curtain and the unnatural divisiveness and confrontation of the Cold War on the European continent and beyond. You have been untiring in Your efforts towards the ‘purification of memory', towards removing the obstacles in the way of dialogue and understanding between faiths and cultures.

In a thousand years, for the first time, the Supreme Pontiff has visited Greece, acting as a catalyst in healing the division with our Christian Orthodox brothers.

In the city of Damascus, where the Apostle Paul heard the voice "Why are you persecuting me?", You have brought a message of dialogue between Islam and the Catholic Church.

For Christianity is a legacy of peace and understanding, of love and solidarity.

Together with the ecumenical dimension of your pilgrimage, Your Holiness has also conveyed a message of dialogue and harmony in the Middle East where tensions and violence have routinely dashed the hopes for peace. We share Your hope that "among the peoples of the region fear will turn into trust; and contempt to mutual esteem; that force will give way to dialogue; and that a genuine desire to serve the common good will prevail."

Your Holiness,

When You visited us eleven years ago, You sensed Malta's mission in history and in the future adding thereto Your vision. Indeed, we treasure Your words:

"Because of its geographical position and history, Malta presents a marvelous symbiosis of European and Mediterranean cultures, and is thus well placed to observe and participate in the present changes of outlook."

We cherish our belief in the values that we have been bequeathed: in freedom, democracy and the rule of law; in a tolerant and inclusive society; in peace and equality; in the importance of the family as the fundamental nucleus of society; in the safeguarding of the right to human life since conception; in solidarity as the pillar of a just and caring society. We look to the example of these three Venerable servants of the Church, whom You will beatify tomorrow.

Many, Your Holiness, are the Maltese who have chosen the path of serving our Holy Mother Church in so many different parts of the world. Theirs is a living testimony to the heritage left to us by the Apostle Paul.

Many are those who, for reasons of health or because they are suffering restrictions in their freedom, cannot be close to You on this Your visit. May I interpret on their behalf their great sense of belongingness to what Your Holiness does represent. Many will be offering their sufferings as a prayer to the Almighty.

Santit'?,

Nirringrazzjak li ergajt gejt fostna.

Inti gejt biex tkompli ssahhahna fil-fidi ta' missirijietna. Il-barka Tieghek fuqna sseddaq l-ghaqda fil-Maltin u s-sliem.

[Your Holiness,
I thank You for coming once again to be with us.
You have come to further strengthen us in the faith of our fathers.
May Your blessing fortify unity and peace among the Maltese people.]