Bruni: And to you for the availability.
Andrea Rossitto, Television Malta: Thank you, Holiness, for your presence in Malta. My question is about the surprise of this morning, in the chapel where St. George Preca is buried: what motivated you to make this surprise for the Maltese. What will you remember about this visit to Malta? Then, your health. How is it going? We saw that this very intense trip went well. Thank you so much.
Pope Francis: My health is a bit fickle, I have this knee problem that brings out problems with walking. It is a bit annoying, but it is getting better, at least I can walk, until a week ago I couldn’t do it. It’s a slow thing this winter… at this age, you don’t know how the match will end. Let’s hope it goes well.
About Malta, I am happy with the visit. I saw the reality of Malta, the great enthusiasm of the people both in Gozo and Malta. A great enthusiasm on the streets. I was amazed. [The trip] was a bit short. I saw the problem, one of the problems for you. The problem of migrants is very serious, because Greece, Cyprus, Malta, Spain, Italy are the countries closest to Africa and to the Middle East, and migrants arrive here and are always welcomed. The problem, that every government should say how many migrants they can ordinarily receive to live worthily, this requires an understanding with the countries of Europe, and that not a few are willing to accept migrants. Let’s not forget that Europe was made by migrants, but at least do not leave all the burden on these neighboring countries. The important thing is not to leave these countries alone.
Today I was at the migrant reception center. The things I heard there, they are terrible, the suffering of those who arrived there, and then the lager [camps], there are lagers on the coast of Libya, the “Way of the Cross” of these people seems criminal. I heard the testimonies of suffering. This is a problem which touches all of us. The way Europe is making room, with much generosity, to Ukrainians, opening the door to Ukrainians, they are doing even to those who come from the Mediterranean. This is a point that finished my visit [and] touched me so much. I felt their suffering, which is more or less what I told you is in that little book that came out, “Hermanito,” in Spanish, “the little brother,” the suffering of these people. One person who spoke today had to pay four times. I ask you to think about this.
Jordi Barcelò, Radio Nacional de España: Good evening, Holiness. I will read [the question] because my Italian is still not very good. On the flight which brought us to Malta, you said that a visit to Kyiv is on the table. And again in Malta you referenced many times your closeness to the Ukrainian people. On Friday in Rome, the Polish president left the door open for a visit to the Polish border. Today, we were hit a lot by the images arriving from Bucha, a town close to Kyiv, abandoned by the Russian army, where Ukrainians found tens of cadavers thrown on the ground, some holding hands, as if they were executed. It seems today that your presence in that area is always more needed. Do you think a trip like this is feasible and what would be the conditions that would have to be in place for you to go there? Thank you.
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