Visit to Malta ‘likely’ to be called off – Associated Press

The Pope’s visit to Malta in May “likely will be called off” because of the coronavirus spread, the Associated Press reports today.

No official decision has as yet been taken on the 31 May visit which was announced last month. But the spread of coronavirus in Italy, the travel ban between Malta and Italy and restrictions to mass activities might possibly lead to at least a postponement.

A spokesman for the Maltese Curia said that the church in Malta has not been informed of any cancellation or postponement as yet.

A Vatican representative to East Timor told The Associated Press, however, that a visit by Pope Francis has been cancelled due to the coronavirus outbreak. Monsignor Marco Sprizzi of the Apostolic Nunciature told reporters in Dili that Francis had previously indicated his willingness to visit East Timor later this year. But Sprizzi cited concerns about large crowds, saying “because he did not want his people affected by the coronavirus, he cancelled his visit.”

“The Vatican had never confirmed Francis would visit Indonesia, East Timor and Papua New Guinea later this year. The only foreign travel it has confirmed this year, a May 31 daytrip to Malta, likely will be called off given Malta on Tuesday barred all air traffic to and from Italy,” the Associated Press reports.

The Vatican, a walled city-state in the heart of Rome, has adopted the same sweeping lockdown measures imposed throughout Italy to contain the spread of the virus.

Francis now issues his blessings and celebrates his private morning Mass via livestream, and the Vatican has closed St. Peter’s Basilica to tourists, though it remains open for private prayer.

Today, Pope Francis held his weekly general audience in his private library as the Vatican implemented Italy’s drastic coronavirus lockdown measures and barred the general public from St Peter’s Square and took precautions to limit the spread of infections in the tiny city-state.

Francis sent out special prayers for prisoners, the sick and hospital personnel caring for them, delivering his weekly catechism lesson via livestream rather than in person. He was surrounded by a handful of priest translators who took turns delivering his comments in a variety of languages, making sure to sit a metre ( yard) apart.

Usually, the pope’s weekly Wednesday audience is a boisterous affair that fills St. Peter’s or the Vatican auditorium with tens of thousands of people. But for this week’s audience, the first of Italy’s nationwide lockdown, the square was empty and police barred access to St. Peter’s Basilica to anyone but individuals seeking to pray.