Head of the Catholic Church Pope Francis was seen greeting and admiring Ħamrun’s very own statue of their patron saint St. Cajetan, during the statue’s visit of Italy including the Vatican.
Earlier this month, the life-size statue was taken to Rome, accompanied by nearly 1,000 locals. This marked the first time the papier-mâché statue had left the parish since its completion by sculptor Carlo Darmanin in 1885.
The trip was organized to mark the 500th anniversary of the founding of the Theatine Order. The statue was placed in the Basilica of Sant’Andrea della Valle in Rome and later on the iconic St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican.
St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican was overflowing with a large crowd of devoted followers of the saint. Pilgrims from all over, including many who had traveled from the saint’s homeland, gathered in the iconic square to pay their respects.
The statute has now been taken back to Basilica of Sant’Andrea della Valle before returning back to it’s home in Ħamrun on the 30th of September.
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