Roman Catholics here yesterday joined other Catholics around the globe in praying for the Pope who passed away yesterday.
Prayers were held in all the parishes, which were topped by a Mass said by Archbishop Joseph Mercieca at St John's Co-Cathedral in Valletta.
Pope John Paul II was the first pope ever to visit Malta and he did this twice, once in 1990 and in 2001, when he declared Blessed three Maltese: Dun Gorg Preca, founder of the Christian doctrine society MUSEUM, Sr Adeodata Pisani and Nazju Falzon.
Looking at photographs of the Pope taken in 2001 already showed His Holiness as a shadow of his former self when he first visited the island.
One of the places that the Pope seemed to have had a special affection for was the grotto and church of St Paul in Rabat.
Mgr Gwann Azzopardi, one of the canons - among whom were the St Paul's church archpriest Fr Benny Tonna and rector of the grotto Canon Carmel Cefai - said when contacted that one of the things the Pope's advisers had told them was not to bother to have a kneeling stool at the grotto "because the Pope would just have a quick look at the grotto in order to keep to his busy schedule".
But the Pope knelt down and engaged in meditation and, when advisers signalled him, he waved at them to give him time.
"He did the same thing in the church above the grotto, telling us to pray to St Paul.
"Dun Benny Tonna had plastered the whole of Rabat with posters with the legend in Maltese and Polish "To Us You Are The Second Paul.
"The Pope was loaded with all sorts of presents by the Maltese. As he left the granaries where he had a tremendous welcome, his sense of humour came through.
"Winking at Archbishop Joseph Mercieca, he said that once back in Rome he would talk to St Paul taunting him that he (the Pope) had been given many more gift than he (St Paul) had been given when he had left the island on his way to Rome," Mgr Azzopardi added.
Mgr Azzopardi said the Pope's spirituality was manifestly evident during his stay here. He was not interested in material embellishments in churches. For him peace and quiet were more valuable, offering him time to meditate and pray.
"The ill health of the Pope is a great blow for the Church but God will not leave the Church to cope on its own. Pope John Paul II was a catalyst that changed the course of history," Mgr Azzopardi said.
The current archpriest of St Paul's church in Rabat, Canon Louis Suban, said prayers on behalf of the Pope had been held at St Paul's Grotto.
The grotto is open daily except Sunday between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. and plans are in hand to turn the grotto into a place of adoration of the Blessed Sacrament next year.
The feast of St Publius, Floriana's patron saint, has been postponed by two weeks in view of the Pope's death.
In a statement the Curia said Archpriest Richard Borg took the decision following a consultation with the parish pastoral council and the Grupp Hidma San Publju.
The feast, which was due to be celebrated next Sunday has been postponed for April 24.