Pope Francis to visit Malta in 2016, claims Catholic traditionalists’ blog

The Catholic-traditionalist blog Pro Tridentina has claimed that Pope Francis will be visiting Malta next year.

The blog, which in the past had staked its credibility on Charles Scicluna not becoming archbishop, declared authoritatively that the Roman pontiff will be slotting in a three-day visit to Malta in 2016.

“This blog is pleased to announce that His Holiness Pope Francis will visit Malta in the second half of 2016,” a post dated 21 September says.

The blog claims sources inside the Vatican “confirmed” that the visit will be spread over three days, adding that “it is the Pope’s wish that during his visit, he will visit three Marian sanctuaries.” 

The Pope’s visit would include include the celebration mass at Ta’ Pinu Sanctuary in Gozo.

The blog’s claims are yet to be confirmed by official Church authorities, however if the visit does materialise it would be the Francis’s first visit to Malta since Pope Benedict’s visit in 2010.

Pro Tridentina is a lay movement whose principal aim is to ensure that the Latin rite or Missale Romanum is maintained in the Church as one of the forms of liturgical celebration, and to safeguard and promote the use of Latin, Gregorian chant and sacred polyphony.

Late last year, the blog had erroneously claimed that Malta’s new Archbishop would be Fabio Attard.

Although the Papal visit has yet to be confirmed by the Vatican, the blog published a detailed itinerary of the visit. “In Malta, the visit – apart from the usual courtesy visits - is expected to include a visit to the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Graces in Żabbar and the Basilica of Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Valletta. Still to be confirmed is a visit to the Church of Divine Mercy at San Pawl Tat-Tarġa, in Naxxar – the latter to coincide with the Jubilee year dedicated to Mercy.”