PRESIDENT SENDS BIRTHDAY WISHES TO H.H. POPE JOHN PAUL II

PRESIDENT SENDS BIRTHDAY WISHES TO H.H. POPE JOHN PAUL II

H.E. Prof. Guido de Marco, President of Malta, has conveyed his wishes to His Holiness Pope John Paul II on the occasion of his eightieth birthday.

In a letter to His Holiness the Pope, Prof. de Marco said that the Pope's "stature as a spiritual leader has been a beacon of light in world politics for over two decades, bridging the history of the end of millennium with the expectations of the dawn of a new century."

"You have contributed in no small measure to the rebirth of hope and freedom in countries where it was absent and within nations and peoples that had longed for them.

"Malta shares the concerns of Your Holiness in regards to the persistence of strife, conflict and poverty in the world. As President of Malta, I assure you our unwavering support for initiatives aimed at alleviating the burdens of poverty and in the promotion of peace."

18.05.2000