[Source]
Pope Francis arrived in Singapore on Wednesday, marking the final leg of his 12-day tour of Southeast Asia and Oceania that has focused on the Catholic Church’s role in promoting interfaith dialogue. The pontiff, who has previously visited Indonesia, Papua New Guinea and East Timor, will focus on meeting political leaders and holding a Mass that is expected to draw some 55,000 people.
-
Meaning of the visit: This is the second papal visit to Singapore, Asia’s richest country, after a brief visit by Pope John Paul II in 1986. Cardinal William Goh stressed the importance of the pope’s message of human dignity, inclusivity and interfaith dialogue, noting: “Singapore and the Holy See share a common interest in promoting interfaith dialogue and understanding.” Singapore is a faith-diverse country, with 26% identifying as Buddhist, 18% as Muslim, 17% as Christian, 8% as Hindu, 6% as followers of traditional Chinese religions and 4% as others, including indigenous religions. Demographically, the country is 74.2% Chinese, 13.7% Malay and 8.9% Indian, with others making up 3.2%.
-
What follows: On Thursday, the pope will meet Singapore’s Prime Minister Lawrence Wong and President Tharman Shanmugaratnam, followed by public mass at the National Stadium. His messages are expected to focus on interfaith harmony, wealth inequality and climate change. Erik Hon, a local Buddhist fintech worker, told AFP he hopes the pope’s visit will “spread the message of love, peace and unity to all walks of life.” The pope’s visit to the Asia-Pacific comes as the Vatican renegotiates its agreement with China on the appointment of bishops.
Download the NextShark app:
Want to stay up-to-date on Asian American news? Download the NextShark app today!
