It’s nice to see that my five years of learning Italian at secondary school didn’t go completely to waste, as I could actually decipher what the Pope was saying about Malta during his last weekly General Audience.
Malta got a mention as Pope Francis was talking about St Paul’s Shipwreck.
The Malta mention happens at around 14:00.
The passage goes on to describe the kindness of Maltese people during the event, however, Pope Francis stops reading, turns to his audience and describes us Maltese bunch as having a “gentle, caring. humble and welcoming disposition, as well as being well-natured”.
He then goes on to talk about how St Paul was bit by a viper in a place where vipers were basically non-existent, and how he went on to heal numerous people around the island in the following days.
Well Pope Francis, us with a ‘gentle, caring, humble welcoming disposition’, thank you from the bottom of our hearts for this honourable mention.