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Pope lands in Singapore, final stop on grand Asia-Pacific tour

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Agence France-Presse

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1726072710089AFP__20240907__36FT6B8__v3__Preview__TopshotPngVaticanPopeReligion.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="Pope Francis looks down as he leads holy mass at Sir John Guise Stadium in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, on September 8, 2024. Tiziana Fabi, AFP"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Pope Francis looks down as he leads holy mass at Sir John Guise Stadium in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, on September 8, 2024. <em>Tiziana Fabi, AFP</em></span></span></span></div><p>SINGAPORE -- Pope Francis touched down in Singapore Wednesday, the last stop of a four-nation Asia-Pacific trip aimed at boosting the Catholic Church&#x27;s standing in the world&#x27;s most populous region.</p><p>Crowds waved Vatican and Singapore flags as Francis&#x27;s plane arrived at the city-state&#x27;s Changi Airport, on the last leg of a 12-day tour to the region.</p><p>The 87-year-old pontiff has defied doubts about his health during a journey that has taken him from a Jakarta grand mosque to a remote jungle of Papua New Guinea.</p><p>In recent years, the ailing pope has undergone hernia surgery and has been plagued by respiratory issues. He now relies on a wheelchair, walking sticks or aides to get around.</p><p>But throughout the trip, he has carried out dozens of public engagements, energized congregations through impromptu call-and-response and repeatedly sat for hours in the brutal tropical heat.</p><p>In East Timor, he held a mass for 600,000 faithful -- almost half the nation&#x27;s population -- before flying on Wednesday to finance hub Singapore.</p><p>&quot;It&#x27;s a very long, arduous journey given his age and medical conditions,&quot; said 44-year-old Singapore healthcare worker Marcus Voon, who plans to attend a stadium mass on Thursday.</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/world/2024/9/10/pope-set-for-huge-east-timor-mass-half-of-nation-expected-1557">READ: Pope set for huge East Timor mass, half of nation expected</a></div><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/world/2024/9/7/in-papua-new-guinea-pope-holds-mass-at-the-edge-of-the-world-721">READ: In Papua New Guinea, Pope holds mass &#x27;at the edge of the world&#x27;</a></div><div><strong>- &#x27;Message of love&#x27; -</strong></div><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/EkJrCepVHH8?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div><p>About 30 percent of Singaporeans are Buddhist, 20 percent have no religion and the rest are a mix of Catholic, Protestant, Taoist and Hindu.</p><p>Erik Hon, a 45-year-old Buddhist fintech worker, said he was &quot;delighted&quot; by the pope&#x27;s visit, hoping it would &quot;spread the message of love, peace and unity to all stripes of humanity&quot;.</p><p>&quot;He sought to reach out to the marginalized and to deepen dialogue between different faiths and those without any faith.&quot;</p><p>Like many businesses, Francis is likely to use Singapore as a platform to reach the rest of the region and the world.</p><p>&quot;The pope will most likely continue to underline a number of global issues that are not specific to a single country,&quot; said Michel Chambon, an expert on Christianity in Asia at the National University of Singapore.</p><p>&quot;The importance of interreligious harmony and international peace, the need for a more resilient and equitable development as well as the necessity for stronger efforts to fight climate change,&quot; he said, suggesting familiar themes for this leg of the pope&#x27;s trip.</p><p>For Asia&#x27;s 100-million-plus Catholics, the tour has made them feel connected to a Church steeped in the customs and conventions of a far-away continent.</p><p>Although Catholicism has been present in Asia for more than 800 years -- from Portuguese missionaries in Japan to underground churches in China -- between local religions, communism and atheism, it has always been a marginalized faith.</p><p>The papal visit &quot;shows that while Catholicism is a minority faith in Singapore, it&#x27;s still a big part of civil society&quot;, said 46-year-old homemaker, Veronique Dawson.</p><p>&quot;It&#x27;s been wonderful how people from different faiths and cultures have played a part in this visit!&quot;</p><p>While Singapore&#x27;s streets are not thronged with vendors selling Vatican flags and rosaries, there is a sense of occasion among the faithful.</p><p>Dawson is recovering from a back injury so she will have to watch mass and other events from home.</p><p>&quot;I have to say I&#x27;m having a serious case of FOMO!&quot; she said -- expressing a fear of missing out.</p><div><strong>© Agence France-Presse</strong></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO:</strong></div><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ik6cq3gh6rY?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div><div><br/></div><div><br/></div><div><br/></div>

<p>Pope Francis touched down in Singapore Wednesday, the last stop of a four-nation Asia-Pacific trip aimed at boosting the Catholic Church's standing in the world's most populous region.</p>

Pope Francis touched down in Singapore Wednesday, the last stop of a four-nation Asia-Pacific trip aimed at boosting the Catholic Church's standing in the world's most populous region.