Pope’s visit to Malta postponed to 2022

Pope's visit to Malta postponed to 2022 over fears of COVID-19 spike and possible election 

Pope Francis
Pope Francis

The pope's visit to Malta has been postponed to next year over concerns of a possible spike in COVID-19 cases during the winter, as well as an election. 

In September, MaltaToday had reported that Pope Francis would be visiting the island in 2021, with November earmarked as a possible date; however, a report in the Times of Malta has confirmed that Valletta and the Vatican have agreed to postpone the trip for the time being. 

The main reason for the postponement was over concerns that there could be a possible COVID-19 spike during winter. However, a second concern was the possibility of a November election. 

The decision to postpone the visit was made despite the fact that Prime Minister Robert Abela had hinted that an election in 2021 was not on the table. It is reported that the Vatican does not want the pope to visit within weeks of the election before or after.

Pope Francis had to visit Malta in May last year but the trip was postponed because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The visit had included a stopover in Gozo.

Pope Francis will be the third pontiff to visit Malta after St John Paul II and pope emeritus Benedict XVI.

The first-ever papal visit took place in 1990 when pope St John Paul II was given a rousing welcome. He visited again in 2001 when he beatified Dun Gorg Preca, Sr Adeodata Pisani and cleric Nazju Falzon during a ceremony on the Granaries in Floriana. Preca was made Malta’s first saint in 2007.

Pope Benedict XVI visited Malta in 2010 at the height of the clerical sex abuse scandal. The pope had even held a private audience with the Maltese victims of priestly sex abuse.