Pope Francis to visit Singapore in September
Source: CNA
Pope Francis will visit Singapore from Sep 11 to 13, the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Singapore said on Friday (Apr 12), confirming earlier reports of a likely trip this year.
"Details of the visit are still being discussed between the Singapore government, the Holy See and local church officials. More information about the papal visit will be released progressively in due course," said the archdiocese.
Singapore is the last leg of his Asia tour.
He will be in Indonesia from Sep 3 to 6, Papua New Guinea from Sep 6 to 9 and Timor-Leste from Sep 9 to 11, the Vatican said in a statement.
Vietnam, which Vatican officials had suggested as a possible destination, was not mentioned.
The last time a pope visited Singapore was in 1986 when John Paul II made a five-hour stop as part of his Asia-Pacific tour that included Bangladesh, New Zealand and Australia.
Thousands attended a papal mass at the National Stadium during that visit.
"It has been 38 years since we had a visit from the Vicar of Christ to Singapore, when Pope St John Paul II honoured us with a visit on Nov 20, 1986," said Cardinal William Goh, the archbishop of Singapore.
"It is my hope that this visit of the Holy Father, Pope Francis, will bring renewed fervour to all Catholics in Singapore, uniting them in faith and mission, especially in these most challenging of times."
Apart from official engagements, Pope Francis is expected to be at a Eucharistic celebration, "likely" on Sep 12, said the archdiocese.
"As we prepare for His Holiness’ visit, let us, as a community, pray for the continued health and safety of the Holy Father and ask the Lord to grant us a truly meaningful and grace-filled visit," it added.
The visit by Pope Francis, 87, has been on the cards for months, but his health had raised questions about whether it would go ahead.
He uses a wheelchair and suffered health issues in recent years, from knee pain to surgery for a hernia and on his colon.
Known for his work ethic, the Pope never takes holidays but has been forced to make concessions due to his age and health, including cancelling a trip to UN climate talks in Dubai last year.
The September trip will represent a major physical challenge, involving more than 30 hours of flight as well as a series of meetings and masses.
It will also be the longest trip for the Argentine since he became head of the worldwide Catholic Church in 2013.
Pope Francis had been due to visit Papua New Guinea, East Timor and Indonesia in September 2020 but the trip was cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Indonesia had already announced the Pope's visit last month, describing it as a "special gift" for the country's Catholics.
Pope Francis has also announced plans to visit Belgium this year, with a possible trip home to Argentina.
He has three coming trips planned within Italy, the first of which will be to Venice on Apr 28.