Children will greet the Pope at Palace Square when he arrives in Malta on April 17 for his visit of just over 24 hours.
The programme of Pope Benedict's visit was formally announced this morning at the end of pontifical Mass at St Paul's Shipwreck Church to mark the feast of St Paul.
The Pope arrives at 5 pm. on Saturday April 17 and will greet the people as he is driven to the Palace.
Children will greet the Pope on Palace Square and he will then meet President George Abela and receive the state authorities.
The Pope leaves the Palace at 7.15 p.m. and at 7.45 p.m. arrives at St Paul's Grotto in Rabat. He will greet the people in the square in front of St Paul's Church.
The highlight of the visit will be reached on Sunday, April 18 with Pontifical Mass on the Granaries at 10 a.m., during which His Holiness will deliver homily.
At 4 p.m. the Pope will leave the Apostolic Nunciature, where he will be resident, and visit Cottonera and Kalkara. At 4.45 p.m. he will cross Grand Harbour on a catamaran from Kalkara to Valletta Waterfront where a meeting with young people will be held at 5.15 p.m. The activity ends after an hour.
The airport departure ceremony starts at 6.40 p.m. and the Pope is due to leave at 7.10 p.m.
BISHOPS' ANNOUNCEMENT
Archbishop Paul Cremona and Bishop Mario Grech, in an announcement of the Pope's visit, said that St Paul brought Christianity to Malta and the Maltese embraced the faith.
"Through the passage of time, this journey which started at that moment has also endured storms. Today it is our turn, as heirs of the faith of our forefathers, to give witness to this faith and pass it onto our children."
Pope Benedict XVI, like Paul, shall come to Malta in order to fortify the Maltese in the faith, the bishops said.
"By the grace of God, may we as a nation, greet His Holiness warmly and welcome him as our Father, much in the same way that our ancestors paid homage to Paul and his friends. May his visit instill in us the blessings which we require so that we may continue to live according to God’s will for his Church, in order that through our Christian beliefs and way of life, we may give witness to God’s love, as well as be a light for other nations."