The PrimeMinister Lawrence Gonzi will be meeting Pope Benedict XVI on the 18th January. During this meeting, Dr Gonzi is expected to formally invite the Pope to visit
Malta
in the upcoming months, newspaper
Il-Gens reported.
Should the Pope accept the PrimeMinister’s invitation, Pope Benedict XVI would be the second pope to visit
Malta
after Pope John Paul II. The late Pope had visited
Malta
in 1990 and 2002.
Dr Gonzi’s visit will be the first of the sort by a high representative of the Maltese Government at the
Vatican
during this pontificate.
The Maltese PrimeMinister will be accompanied by Ms Kate Gonzi, the Minister for Foreign Affairs Michael Frendo,
Malta
’s Ambassador for the Vatican Tonio Ganado and other officials from the PrimeMinister’s secretariat.
The PrimeMinister is also expected to hold bilateral talks with
Vatican
officials, among them the secretary for the
Vatican
state, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone.
