All devout Catholics in Malta have been eagerly waiting for Pope Francis’ visit… 

…and after several postponements brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, the head of the Roman Catholic church will be undertaking his highly-anticipated trip this coming weekend.  

This makes him the third Pope to visit the islands, with St John Paul II having visited Malta in 1990 and 2001, and Pope Benedict XVI having paid us a visit in 2010. 

In anticipation of the return of His Holiness, Malta Audio Visual Memories shared a series of clips showing Pope John Paul II in Malta a whopping 31 years ago. 

It comes as no surprise that the islands came to a standstill when His Holiness arrived on the islands all those years ago. 

The visit will see Pope Francis arrive in Malta at 10am this coming Saturday. Following the arrival ceremony at the Malta International Airport, he will be driven to the President’s Palace in Valletta where he will meet President George Vella. 

Pope Francis will be embarking on tightly-packed programme throughout his visit, which, amongst other things, is set to include a Mass on the Floriana Granaries on Sunday morning. 

Are you excited for the Pope’s return?  

Main image: Facebook/ Malta Audio Visual Memories