In a brief 30-minute session on Monday, Parliament paid tribute to the late Pope Francis, who died last week on Easter Monday.
Deputy Prime Minister Ian Borg described Pope Francis as an extraordinary person, who left his mark, and said his voice will continue to be remembered.
Borg said Pope Francis was the Pope who led the Catholic Church during a pandemic and would call the Catholic community in Gaza every day since the war started.
He said that from the beginning of his pontificate, Pope Francis gave clear signs of reforms in favour of good, and in favour of the vulnerable and the poor.
Borg said Pope Francis showed compassion and empathy, and was “an instrument of peace.”
“He is considered by many as a great, and loved Pope, which was felt even after his death till his funeral,” Borg said.
He recalled when Pope Francis made his visit to Malta in 2022, where he also left his mark. Borg said that Pope Francis was vociferous on various things, such as the poor, workers, LGBTQ+ rights, and health and safety in the workplace, among many others.
“Pope Francis was a great Pope who worked for the good of communities, and his words and actions will not be forgotten. In the name of the Maltese government, I express my condolences to the Vatican Church, and wish the best for his successor,” Borg said.
Opposition Leader Bernard Grech also described Pope Francis as a “great Pope,” and said that from the start, even by choosing the name “Francis,” the late Pope showed clear direction on where he wanted to take the Catholic Church, to become more simple, and closer to the poor and minorities.
Grech said that he was a Pope who did not solely preach with words, but spoke with actions. He said that the clearest message Pope Francis sent to the world as a world leader was the message of empathy, and be more empathic.
He said that in his papal visit to Malta, Pope Francis went to Birzebbugia, which was symbolic as that was the location where the meeting between the two leaders of the world’s largest superpowers, Bush and Gorbachev, took place, which resulted into an agreement which ended the Cold War, leading to peace.
“The Pope loved peace and worked for peace. He gathered the largest number of world leaders together, not just in life, but in death at his funeral,” Grech said.
He referred to a recent photo taken of US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the Basilica of the Vatican for the Pope’s funeral, describing it as a “seed of hope” for long-lasting peace.
Grech said that Pope Francis went to people instead of waiting for them to come to him, even world leaders, and the most poor.
He said that his last act of love was shown when he visited and donated to prisoners before his death.
“A Pope who preached with actions, not with words. That is his legacy, which inspires us as Catholics and as people, and he will continue to inspire people around the world with his universal values,” Grech said.
On behalf of the Opposition, Grech paid tribute to the “great person” the Pope was, who taught with actions, not words, and managed to gather together the biggest enemies.
Speaker Anglu Farrugia joined both sides of the House in expressing his condolences, recalling when he himself had met the Pope back when he was elected.
He recalled Pope Francis asking him what he did for work, joking that a Pope’s job is undoubtedly more laborious, and asked Farrugia to pray for him.
“I admired this Pope as he left a greater mark with his actions. When he was Archbishop of Buenos Aires in Argentina, he would visit the favelas – the poorest areas, and help however he can,” Farrugia said.
Farrugia recalled when the Pope had a meeting with Fidel Castro of Cuba, and said that Cuba was the only country the Pope visited twice to try and reconnect faith within the churches.
“This is his legacy, and I hope that whoever comes after him follows on his examples,” Farrugia said.
As a show of respect, Parliament held a minute of silence for the late Pope Francis. The session was then adjourned.