Thousands have booked their seats to attend Mass with Pope Francis on the Granaries in two weeks time.

The Diocesan Organising Committee for the Pope’s visit has published an artist’s impression of the stage to be built on the Granaries, Floriana and from which Pope Francis will celebrate Mass on Sunday, the 3rd of April 3, at 10:15 am.

It was designed by the artistic director Carlo Schembri in collaboration with the architect Joe Bondin who is in charge its structure and Mr Anton Attard who is in charge of logistics.

The design of the stage is inspired by the shape of the crucifix, with the ring and the rays emanating from it representing the Eucharist.

The grandstand is 16 metres wide and 14 metres deep. On the tribune will be about 600 priests who will concelebrate Mass with the Pope.As the Pope’s visit will take place during Lent, the most prominent colour will be purple, the liturgical colour used during the 40th day of Lent. Instead of flowers, the grandstand will be surrounded by fauna found in Malta and also mentioned in the Bible.

In the middle of the grandstand will be a crucifix, a local work probably from the end of the 19th century, traditionally known as Kristu tal-Gogi and located in the chapel of the Curia of the Archbishop in Floriana and belongs to the Church of St. Nicholas (of the Souls) of the Valletta.

The Committee explained that such crucifixes were used during the traditional three-hour sermon on Good Friday, because they allowed the arms of Christ to be loosened from the cross and for the body to be lowered as if for burial to be placed for the worship of the faithful.

An altar, pulpit and wooden seat will be used for the Pope’s Mass. These were made in the eighties by the Maltese sculptor Ganni Bonnici, originally for the church of Mosta.

Next to the altar will also be the icon of Our Lady of Damascus from the 12th century, known as ‘Damascene,’ which is currently housed in the Greek Catholic Church in Valletta. The icon was venerated in Damascus, Syria, from where it took its name and was brought to Malta in 1530 by its owner Joanna Calamia, a distinguished Greek woman from Rhodes.

The Grand Master Jean Parisot de Valette was a devotee of this icon. When the Knights of St. John and the Maltese defeated the Ottomans during the Great Siege of 1565, Grand Master de Valette laid down his hat and sword as a votive offering to Our Lady of Damascus.

There will be an area reserved for wheelchairs and an area for the hearing impaired in need of a Maltese Sign Language interpreter.

In the first two days when the registration opened for seating on the Granaries thousands of people applied. The Church is appealing to people to go early and use public transport.

Anyone who needs more information about the Mass with Pope Francis can send an email papalvisit@maltadiocese.org

Permalink: Thousands to attend Mass with Pope Francis at the Granaries