Pope Francis’ visit to Malta will span over two days, with slight changes to the planned schedule made after a visit to the island by a Vatican delegation.

Vatican sources said the Pope will arrive in the afternoon, on Saturday 30 May. He will be visiting Gozo early in the evening. Francis is expected to visit the Ta’ Pinu shrine near Gharb.

On Sunday 31 May, he will lead Mass on the Granaries in Floriana, and then visit St Paul’s Grotto in Rabat, before lunch at the residents of the Apostolic Nuncio in Malta. The Pope will meet with migrants in Hal Far before heading to the airport for his departure. 

The sources said a delegation from the Vatican visited Malta last week and found that it is logistically impossible to fit all the above mentioned events in one day. The delegation decided that it would be easier for Francis to come on Saturday afternoon and leave on Sunday early in the afternoon.

The Pope’s upcoming visit was first announced by President George Vella during a mass held on St Paul’s feast earlier this month.

This will be the fourth visit of a pope to Malta in the last 30 years. Pope John Paul II had visited Malta in 1990 and 2001, while Pope Benedict XVI came to Malta in 2010.