It was with great enthusiasm and joy that the young people of Malta awaited the greeting of Pope Francis in St. George’s Square, which is located in front of the Presidential Palace in Valletta.
It wasn’t only the joy of thousands of young adults; also waiting for him at the exit was a group of differently abled children.
Among them was Yana and her father Matthew Borg, who were eagerly awaiting the greeting of the Holy Father.
He told Aleteia of his hope for some peace. He commented how they have already suffered a lot with the pandemic, and are now watching with concern a war to which no one can remain indifferent.
Matthew trusts the Pope to be an intermediary, and he also trusts in his love for the Maltese people and their families.
He told us the story of Jana. The little girl was born prematurely and while she was in the incubator in the neonatal ward, they inadvertently touched her spine with a needle while administering medication. Jana was instantly paralyzed from the waist down.
“What’s important in life isn’t just being able to walk.”
“Yes, they were very hard times at first,” Matthew acknowledges, but as Jana grew older, seeing her sweet smile, he realized that “What’s important in life isn’t just being able to walk, but life itself.”
We also met Beatriz, an Argentinian woman who has been living in Malta for 12 years. Like Matthew, she is also concerned about the times we are living in and hopes that the Pope can intervene for that longed-for peace.