Children's choir to sing Happy Birthday to the Pope
The children’s choir for the Pope’s visit will be singing Happy Birthday to the Pope as he appears on the Palace balcony on Saturday, a day after turning 83.
About 5,000 children aged between eight and 12 will be welcoming the Pope in St George’s Square, Valletta. A choir of 500 children has been formed and they have been rehearsing for the past six weeks.
The children taking part in the activity will be arriving in Valletta from specific pick-up points by organised transport. John Gera, from the Civil Protection Department, said that after the event parents should not pick up their children from Valletta but from the designated pick-up point.
An area in St George’s Square has been designated for wheelchairs, and volunteers from St John’s Rescue, St John’s Ambulance, Red Cross and Paramedics will be on site.
Organising committee chairman Charles Bonello said that children will be in a secure area and another barrier is being set up for those who needed to get out but still be in the secure area.
Children taking part will be wearing a bandana and identification.
Mr Bonello said the Pope Mobil will drive His Holiness directly inside the Palace. He will then use the lift, accompanied by the President. He will be taken to the Pages Chamber for an exchange of gifts.
This will be followed by a private meeting and an official photo in the Ambassador’s Room. The Pope will then meet Prime Minister and Mrs Gonzi, followed by the Cabinet, the Speaker and Opposition leader Joe Muscat and Mrs Muscat.
The Pope will greet the people on the balcony and then meet MPs in the Tapestry Chamber.
It is not clear whether the Pope will meet and speak to the children.
When asked why MPs had to be accredited to get into the Palace. Mr Bonello said this was a decision taken months ago as the committee could not give different levels of security.
Anyone entering particular areas has to be accredited.
There were enough measures in place so that even if the security risk on the Pope went up in the coming days, Malta would be covered.
“This is an important visit and we cannot fail,” Mr Bonello said.
Video shows the choir during rehearsals.
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Justin Gerald Saliba
Apr 15th 2010, 12:40
will be there space for other people ?
Robert Zammit
Apr 14th 2010, 20:01
Happy Birthday Pope.. but careful & trust yourself.
D Micallef
Apr 14th 2010, 19:28
Now that the Vatican newspaper has dismissed its moral outrages against The Beatles over the weekend, may I propose that the choir sings to the pope a popular Beatles song? May I suggest ‘Let it Be’, unless it would be considered as a spiteful choice, considering that he has done so much ‘let-it-be-ing’ himself! On second thoughts, the song ‘Yesterday’ has more fitting lyrics.
Stella Galea
Apr 14th 2010, 18:22
This is great to have all these kids sing for our Holy Father!.My main comment is to all these Pope bashers and vandalism and all the negativity that I've been reading about this visit,why don't every body just give Him the same welcome and hospitality our ancestors gave St.Paul when God gave us the gift that he shipwrecked there!!Or isn't it mainly this reason he is visiting!!I'm so ashamed of some things I read.This is not the Malta I grew up In.
Claire Bonello
Apr 14th 2010, 17:24
@ M Tabone. Why is this overdoing it? It's a children's choir singing a song....why not?
@ Edwin Ablea...Yes, it's just you.
M.Tabone
Apr 14th 2010, 16:48
OMG....whats next????????? How to over do it.....the maltese way!!
edwin abela
Apr 14th 2010, 16:20
Is it just me or is it a case of this being spectacularly exquisite irony? "Suffer the little children unto me".... and HOW they have suffered!!
Jason Borg
Apr 14th 2010, 16:30
U dawk li gawdew, wisq u wisq iktar minn dawk li batew, dawk insejt issemihom?
D.Farrugia
Apr 14th 2010, 17:02
@ E. Abela
I am sick of reading more and more people trying to sound cool by trying to bash the Pope. It is obvious that what the pedophile priests did was wrong-very wrong, however the way some people make it sound as if every child who came in contact with a priest was affected in this way is sickening. The vast majority priests did, and continue to do, a tremendous amount of good work with children, and the help they do is invaluable. Do you know how many poor children in African countries (and elsewhere) are getting first hand help to try and live a decent life from priests and missionaries?
It is unfair that you and other people try to portray this negative image of the Church. During these last few days, The Times reported 2 domestic cases of child abuse by parents, one which included a father who raped 3 of his repeatedly. With the same logic, why aren't you, (and all the other Church and Pope-bashers), bashing parenthood as well? Double standards galore!!!
Miguel Micallef
Apr 15th 2010, 09:54
No one is bashing parenthood because that is natural and unavoidable, the exact contrary of the church. We cannot do away with parenthood to avoid 1 child rape, but if doing away with the church will avoid even 1 child rape, then it should be made away with. The misconcept that the church 'does a lot of good in the world' needs to be exposed right away as a big fake. A lot of people do a lot of good around the world, not necessarily the church. With or without the church, there will still be a lot of people doing good, we will just remove the problems associated with the church, which aren't a few but many.
Watch this on BBC to see how much good the church is doing for the world ....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8XpGyHJZ9b0
Please get your morals right before you comment.
D. Farrugia
Apr 15th 2010, 18:23
@ M. Micallef
Yes the church is doing a lot of good. It may be that some of you are blind and forget how many missionaries and priests left their homeland and families to go and help others in lands which are destroyed by civil wars, famine and poverty. In addition, the morals it preaches does bring less problems in society.
If you say that we could do without the church well I can say that we could do without the Atheists. How can you say that we can do without the Church if these pedophile priests are only a very small percentage of the priests around the world? And the vast majority of the priests do so much good!!It is you who needs to get your morals right-because you are condemning other people.
M, Mercieca
Apr 14th 2010, 15:00
I couldn't believe it when in this article I read that "It is not clear whether the Pope will meet and speak to the children".
Our children have been asked by the organisers to leave their homes at 2.30pm and be back home at 8.30pm to see the pope. The least they are expecting is to see him and hear him address them in St. George's Square. What is all the fuss about if it is still not clear whether he will be meeting them. I hope it will not be a disappointment for each one of them.
charles Muscat
Apr 14th 2010, 13:22
How innocent