Pope Francis has landed to a windy welcome in Malta.

The pontiff used an elevator to descend from the ITA aircraft onto the tarmac in Malta, as he had used to get on the plane in Rome.

It was the first time the 85-year-old pope has used the tarmac lift and was a sign that the painful knee inflammation he has been suffering for months had gotten worse.

The Holy Father was welcomed at the airport by President George Vella, Prime Minister Robert Abela, Speaker Anglu Farrugia, Archbishop Mgrs Charles Scicluna, Gozo Bishop Anton Teuma, Foreign Minister Ian Borg, Chief Justice Mark Chetcuti and other dignatories.

Pope Francis is on his 36th official trip as head of the Church, the first in Malta.

He was offered flowers by two children upon his arrival with a delegation made up of 35 people, apart from a 20-man security service.

Among those accompanying the Pope was Cardinal Mario Grech and the Vaticamn Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin.

The Pontiff then made his way to Valletta, where he was greeted by huge crowds of people that lined up the streets of Floriana and the capital city.

Many were seen waving Maltese, Vatican and Argentinian flags, as the pope looked from left to right all the way to wave to as many people as possible.

His first stop was at the Palace in Valletta, where he was again welcomed by President Vella. He met with the President's family, and later again with the PM, who was accompanied by his wife Lydia and daughter Georgia-Mae, who presented the Pope with a chart and asked for his blessings. 

Former Presidents Ugo Mifsud Bonnici, Marie Louise Coleiro Preca and George Abela, who is also the PM's father, were also present for the occasion.

He was later also introduced to the ministers and their partners and the Leader of the Opposition Bernard Grech.

Upon arriving at St George’s Square, the pope was greeted by a crowd of people from all ages; the majority, however, were youths from several groups in society, such as Salesian groups.

Several school children dressed in their school uniforms were seated in the crowd with their teachers and guardians, ready to cheer for Pope Francis’ arrival.

Two large screens, which broadcast the moment the Pope landed on Maltese land, prompted the crowd to erupt into cheers and claps, as soon as the Pope was seen emerging from the airplane.

As the crowd waited for Pope Francis to make his way from the Malta International Airport towards Valletta, there were several concerts organized for the entertainment of the public. Songs of gospel, and ones which promote love and peace, were sung by duets and choirs, in preparation for the Pope’s arrival.

___

Earlier

Pope Francis headed to the Mediterranean island nation of Malta on Saturday for a pandemic-delayed weekend visit, aiming to draw attention to Europe’s migration challenge that has only become more stark with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Francis is likely to encourage Europe’s embrace of Ukrainian refugees while also urging countries to extend the same welcome to migrants coming from Libya and elsewhere.

Francis used a wheelchair lift to board the ITA aircraft rather than take the stairs, a sign that his painful knees were bothering him. It was the first time he has used the elevator and was an indication that the inflammation has gotten worse.

Malta, the European Union’s smallest country with a half-million people, has long been on the front lines of the flow of migrants and refugees across the Mediterranean. It has frequently called upon its bigger European neighbors to shoulder more of the burden receiving would-be refugees.

Francis has frequently echoed that call, and will certainly link it this weekend to the welcome the Maltese once gave the Apostle Paul, who according to the biblical account, was shipwrecked off Malta in around A.D. 60 while en route to Rome and was shown unusual kindness by the islanders.

The Vatican secretary of state, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, said migration will top the agenda for Francis’ trip and said Europe’s reception of Ukrainian refugees was “truly admirable.”

“I hope that this tragic experience can also really help to grow, to increase sensitivity also towards the other migration, the one that comes from the south,” he told Vatican Media.

Although short, the two-day visit was already going to be challenging for the 85-year-old Francis, who has had increasing trouble walking due to an inflamed ligament in his right knee. He has struggled in recent days to stand up from his chair and climb stairs, and his limping gait from sciatica has appeared more pronounced.

While he was able to use the elevator to board the plane, Francis is due to board a catamaran Saturday afternoon for a sailing trip to the island of Gozo, and on Sunday plans to descend the steps into the Grotto of St. Paul in Rabat.

Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni said the elevator was decided upon in the past day to avoid subjecting the pontiff to unnecessary strain. He suggested a similar measure was expected in Valletta.

Francis had been due to visit Malta in May 2020, but postponed the visit after the coronavirus pandemic hit. The rescheduled trip comes as the Catholic Church in the overwhelmingly Catholic country is preparing for its first in-person Easter Week celebrations in two years.

Maltese Archbishop Charles Scicluna, who is also a top Vatican official, asked for prayers for the visit, not least because of Francis’ catamaran trip Saturday.

“That should be lovely if he has the right weather for it, but the last two weekends before the pope’s trip have been an unmitigated disaster weather-wise,” Scicluna told The Associated Press. “So we pray for something we cannot organize: the weather.”