Three slipped discs failed to stop Evelyn Degiorgio from standing patiently for hours along the barriers in Msida in the hope of catching a glimpse of the Pontiff passing through in his Popemobile.

Ms Degiorgio, 56, had badly hurt her back when diving into the sea 32 years ago. Ignoring medical advice to operate, she considered herself to be a "walking miracle" despite the occasional periods of pain.

The faith of the mother of seven is strong and nothing can diminish it; not even the allegations of child abuse that have haunted the Vatican in the past weeks.

"The Pope is the vicar of Christ, the face of God and his visit is a gift. This Pope is perfect for these times because he has such charisma," she said.

She believes God had a plan for everyone; a belief so strong that she allowed one of her daughters to miss her A-level to go on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. Coincidentally, when she returned, the course applications had been extended and she was in the clear.

Just a few metres away, in the crowd of 200 people who gathered outside the Msida parish church, was Imelda Pace, a 68-year-old mother of four, who is undergoing treatment for breast cancer.

She was not about to let her personal woes get in the way of the celebrations and she was laughing, dancing and singing. She believed the fact the Pope had come to Malta "of all places is a sign of God's love".

Ms Degiorgio and Ms Pace were just two of the thousands who lined the roads along the papal route, waiting to see the Pope who landed at the airport yesterday evening.

Many could not help but point out that the crowds were sparser than the last time Pope John Paul II had come to Malta in 2001. Yet, because Pope Benedict had landed in a more secularised society and under a shadow of allegations hanging over the Vatican, the support was considered tremendous.

The Pope's entourage said they were very impressed with the number of people they saw lining the streets, which surpassed their expectations. They were also positively surprised at the lack of an overbearing police presence, which normally marked similar visits abroad.

Valletta's Republic Street was lined with people who squeezed behind the barriers to try and get a glimpse of the Pope. Some took advantage of the situation to make some money and went around selling papal flags, while another man was going around the crowd wheeling a blue picnic cooler selling small bottles of water.

Further in, towards the heart of Valletta, St George's Square came alive with some 5,000 children singing, clapping and screaming.

The atmosphere exploded when the Popemobile entered the capital and was greeted by the waving of flags and scarves and thousands of flashing cameras.

Tourists, including a woman from the Pontiff's home region of Bavaria, mingled with the Maltese in Valletta as they jostled for a good spot to catch a glimpse of the Pope.

Despite being 78, Maria Bezzina, from Għargħur, entered Valletta with three other septuagenarians to greet the Pope. Ms Bezzina expressed her joy that "Malta greeted the Pope well".

Describing the Pope as "calm, humble and always with a smile", Ms Bezzina said she realised in recent days that he was troubled and saddened because of the abuse allegations. However, she was confident the Church would recover from the setback because it learnt from its mistakes and would win against adversity.

Ms Bezzina said she felt sorry for both the victims who claimed they were abused as well as those who committed these serious offences.

"I never doubted the Church," she said, adding she had been fasting and praying to God to give the Pope strength to stand by His Church.

Stella Scicluna, 60, from Fgura, believed the sex abuse scandal had an impact on the Pope's visit, but she felt encouraged by the number of people waiting in Valletta to greet him.

John Gusman, 55, from Iklin, felt he had to go to Valletta because "at this particular moment I had to show support to my religion". He believed the scandal did have an impact on the Church; however, he too was encouraged by the fact that the Vatican had issued guidelines making it mandatory for bishops to report abuse cases to the police.

For him, his faith in God did not depend on the Pope. He showed respect to the Pope but his faith was in God.

Inside the Palace, President George Abela and the Pope exchanged gifts, followed by a similar ceremony with Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi - who jokingly told the Pontiff he hoped the volcanic ash cloud over Europe, grounding airlines across Europe, would delay his departure to give him enough time to visit Gozo. The Pope smiled, but did not reply.

In a separate room, Speaker Louis Galea minded the two-year-old twins of opposition leader Joseph Muscat - Soleil and Etoile received an official invite - singing to them and turning them around in circles, as he waited with other VIPs to meet the Pope.

The Pope also met former presidents - Ċensu Tabone, Ugo Mifsud Bonnici, Guido de Marco and Eddie Fenech Adami - and presented them with the official medal.

In Marsa, a group of about 50 Neocatechumenals from Żabbar lined up along the road equipped with picnic chairs and guitars, singing and praising the Lord.

Their discussion involved comparing Pope Benedict to his predecessor and how they had gone to greater extremes to see Pope John Paul II. They did recognise that this Pope was the one who had to carry the burden of the Church; which could turn out to be a time for renewal.

Up in Luqa, another group of Neocatechumenals converged around the phallic sculpture holding a banner, stretching side to side along the roundabout, to 'save' His Grace from having to set eyes on what the council described as the "monument of shame".

Police lined the streets along the route vetting banners and posters to ensure nothing marred the papal visit.

In Rabat, tourists from South Africa, who happened to be in Malta, turned up to see the Pope. They said it was nice to see him receive a warm welcome in such a Catholic country.

The mood reached fever pitch in the town's main square, in front of the parish church, when the bells started pealing the minute the Popemobile reached Saqqajja Hill.

After praying at St Paul's Grotto, he addressed the crowd from the stage, which, unfortunately, concealed the Church's beautiful façade. The evening ended around 9.30 p.m. when the Pope, now looking tired, retired to the Apostolic Nunciature, in Tal-Virtù. The surrounding roads had been blocked off to ensure nobody could disrupt his rest. Not even Maltese nuns, who were once famously told by Benedict's predecessor: "Even the Pope needs to sleep."