Malta to host first ever papal visit

by our correspondent in Malta POPE JOHN Paul will visit Malta in two years time, the first ever Pontiff to come to this most Catholic of Mediterranean islands.
The invitation to cross the short stretch of water that divides Italy from Malta was reiterated at a meeting last week between Pope John Paul and the island's two Catholic prelates, Archbishop Joseph Mercieca and Bishop Cauchi of Gozo. The archbishop reported recent renewed contacts between church and state since the election of Dr Eddie French Adami as Prime Minister.
Prime Minister Fenech Adami has already met Pope John Paul twice at the Vatican. The first meeting took place in April 1981, while Fenech Adami, a Christian Democrat, was in Rome taking part in activities organised by the Italian Christian Democratic Party to commemorate the first centenary of the birth of Italian statesman, Alcide de Gasperi.
The second meeting took place, at the personal invitation of the Pope in September 1985.
• Four religious feasts which had been deleted from the list of public holidays in 1977 by the previous Labour Government, have been reinstated as public holidays by the new government These are: the feast of St Joseph (March 19); the feast of the St Peter and St Paul (June 29); the feast of Our Lady of Victories (September 8); and the feast of the Immaculate Conception (December 8).
Also reinstated in the list of public holidays is September 21, Independence Day, which is to become once again Malta's National Day.