On March 29, the director of the Holy See Press Office, Matteo Bruni, presented the program for the Pope’s apostolic journey to Malta (map, which will take place April 2-3.

The journey’s theme is “They showed us unusual kindness” (Acts 28:2), a reference to St. Paul’s reception in Malta when he was shipwrecked there.

Bruni also presented a statistical overview of the Church in Malta. The nation of 478,000 is 85% Catholic, and has 85 parishes, 74 Catholic schools, 716 priests, 797 religious sisters, and 48 major seminarians.