Photo Story – Pope Francis in Malta and Gozo – A small island, but one with a great heart
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Love of God is what drives our joy. Pope Francis gave this powerful reminder his first day in Malta during the prayer meeting at the National Marian Shrine of Ta’ Pinu on the Maltese island of Gozo on Saturday.
The Holy Father told the Maltese, “be the polar star guiding you to welcome one another, to foster familiarity and to work in communion!” He told them to go forward and to do so “always together!”
The Holy Father also called Malta a treasure in the Church and for the Church. After the crowds applauded, he said smiling, “I state another time: You are a treasure in the Church and for the Church.”
“To preserve that treasure,” he insisted, “you must return to the essence of Christianity: the love of God, the driving force of our joy, which sends us forth to the world; and the love of our neighbour, which is the simplest and most attractive witness we can give before the world.”
A handout picture provided by the Vatican Media shows Pope Francis (C) during a meeting of prayer at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Blessed Virgin of Ta’ Pinu, in Gozo island, Malta, 02 April 2022. The Pontiff is on a two-day official visit to Malta. EPA-EFE/VATICAN MEDIA HANDOUT
