Archbishop Charles Scicluna has concluded a two-day pastoral visit to London, during which he met with around 30 Maltese patients currently receiving medical treatment in the United Kingdom.
During the visit, Archbishop Scicluna not only met with patients and their relatives at Great Ormond Street Hospital but also baptised a baby born in London a few months earlier. He described the hospital which specialises in the care of children as a sign of hope and new life.
The Archbishop also visited Maltese patients at a neurological hospital in central London and the Royal Marsden Hospital in Sutton. At the Royal Marsden Hospital, he also met with Maltese nurse Laura Borg Turner. He was accompanied throughout the visit by the Maltese High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Professor Stephen Montefort.
During this pastoral visit, the Archbishop celebrated Mass with Maltese residents at the Puttinu Cares’ apartments in Sutton. He remarked that while time is always precious, patients and their relatives have the grace to appreciate this more acutely. “You have the privilege of appreciating how precious time is, whether you are waiting for an operation or receiving a result. Time becomes truly precious; life becomes precious. You are a great school of how precious life is,” said the Archbishop.
At the same Mass, while thanking God for advancements in science, Archbishop Scicluna also expressed gratitude to the Maltese Government and the people of Malta and Gozo for their unwavering support of those in need of medical care.
On a separate occasion at the Malta High Commission — in the presence of a number of Maltese professionals based in England — the Archbishop emphasised that the size of a nation does not limit its potential. He noted that more than 300 Maltese are currently working in the medical field in the United Kingdom. He expressed his appreciation for their dedication and encouraged them to continue bringing hope to a world increasingly marked by violence.
During his two-day visit, the Archbishop also took time to meet with the Augustinian Sisters. He was accompanied by Conventual Franciscan Friars Father Mario Sant and Father Joseph Formosa, who provide moral and spiritual support to members of the Maltese community in need of care in the UK.