‘Will Malta live up to its fame of being a hospitable people?’

During his visit to Malta, Pope Francis will be visiting refugees and immigrants at the Peace Lab in Ħal Far. Ironically, at the same time, German rescue ship Sea-Eye 4 remains outside Maltese territorial waters with 106 migrants on board after its request to disembark the people was refused.

The ship has asked the Maltese authorities to allow the disembarkation of the migrants, including 22 children and solicited the Pope's intervention in the wake of his visit to Malta that starts tomorrow.

The plight of refugees, particularly in the Mediterranean, has always been close to Pope Francis’s heart and he has consistently called for greater respect of human beings, Fr Hillary Tagliaferro told MaltaToday.

And with Malta – like Italy – often the destination of many immigrants fleeing North Africa, Pope Francis would be sure to pass on his plea for more humanity when dealing with refugees in his meetings with the country’s politicians.

Sea-Eye 4 rescued 74 migrants from the central Mediterranean and picked up another 32 who had been picked up by a containership (Photo: Joe Rabe/Sea-Eye 4)

“At present, the Pope is possibly the only person who enjoys worldwide respect,” Tagliaferro said. “Unlike politicians and other leaders, when Pope Francis speaks, others listen irrespective of faith or race.”

He said that no papal visit is done for show and insisted Pope Francis’s visit to Malta was no exception.

The pope has frequently enjoined people to treat others with dignity, he said. “Coming days after a general election, visiting a country that remains sharply divided along political lines and ideologies, Malta stands to learn a lot from Francis’s message,” Tagliaferro said. “We need to do away with our prejudices and division, and focus on what unites all. That is the Pope’s message at its core.”

Fr Jimmy Bonnici, Rector of the Archbishop’s Seminary in Rabat, agreed.

“The Pope instils a sense of hope in all those he meets and addresses,” he said. “And his message is relevant because the Pope has a way of looking at things from the periphery, experiencing and talking about issues in a way that touches everyone, instead of looking at issues from a centralised point of view, as many leaders tend to do.

“Pope Francis provides a moral presence that serves as guide, even in these times, as global changes are bringing people of different backgrounds closer than ever before,” Bonnici said.

He said that as expressed in his third encyclical, Fratelli Tutti – published in October 2020 – Pope Francis extols the merits of fraternity and social friendship.

And the Pope’s perspective is not limited to a strict religious interpretation to the exclusion of other views, Bonnici said. “Francis’s science background allows him to be able to look at vital issues with an open mind, as he has demonstrated when discussing climate change and the limits of resources,” he said. “Because of his ability to make science and religion converge in a manner that works, Pope Francis’s message is universal and not limited to Catholics.”

Bonnici said that for the Catholic community, the Pope’s visit should serve as as proof that maintaining traditional values does not – and should not – mean remaining trapped in the past.

The Pope’s visit and message allows Catholics stuck at a crossroads between modernity and traditional values to move ahead knowing that their faith remains relevant even in the 21st century.

“The Pope encourages Catholics worldwide not to discard their faith but to leave themselves open to debate and to challenge themselves,” Bonnici said. “And with this visit, Francis can help Malta too grow without having to lose its values and identity.”

Neil Falzon, director at Aditus Foundation, said that from a human rights perspective, the importance of the Pope’s visit is two-fold.

On one hand, it is an opportunity for Pope Francis to shine a needed light on the situation of migrants and refugees in Malta.

“His presence will remind Malta and Europe of the need to approach the situation humanely, and in a way that respects the dignity and fundamental rights of all persons,” Falzon said.

“We also hope he will underline those values and principles that should inform governance: transparency, accountability, honesty and courage.”

Falzon said he hoped that the Pope’s visit, on the other hand, would not be relied upon by the authorities to weaken Malta's stance in relation to the LGBTIQ+ community and the rights of women.

“The equal dignity of all persons must remain the focus of Malta's governance,” he said.

He said that Pope Francis’s visit to the Peace Lab could be read as a direct message.

“To migrant and refugees, it is a message of welcome, solidarity and respect,” Falzon said. “To Malta, he is showcasing the humane treatment offered by Fr Mintoff against the dark and ignoble Ħal Far tent village, just next door.”

Fr Jimmy Bartolo SJ, Rector at St Aloysius College, said that with Europe once again in the grip of war following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Pope Francis will be bringing to Malta a message of peace and of the need to stop needless death.

“Although visiting Malta, the Pope’s message is global and his diplomatic standing on a world stage means that everyone will be listening,” he said.

Bartolo said that the papal visit should also serve as a reminder for Catholics to renew and strengthen their faith.

And the visit to the Peace Lab was indeed very relevant. Bartolo noted that Pope Francis’s first pastoral visit had been to Lampedusa, which – like Malta – often provided a first landfall for many refugees and irregular immigrants.

“The importance of treating these people with dignity has always been at the top of this pope’s agenda,” Bartolo said. “He has always been consistent on this, even during his past visits to Greece and Cyprus.”

The big question is how Malta will react, Bartolo said. “Are we going to live up to our fame of being a hospitable people?”