Pope Francis arrives in Singapore for final leg of Asia-Pacific tour
The leader of the Vatican City is in Singapore for a three-day visit, the first by a pope here since 1986.
Pope Francis arrives in Singapore on Sep 11, 2024. (Photo: CNA/Syamil Sapari)
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SINGAPORE: Pope Francis touched down in Singapore on Wednesday afternoon (Sep 11) for the last stop of his four-nation visit to the Asia-Pacific region.
The plane carrying the Vatican delegation landed at Changi Airport at around 2.50pm, having arrived from the Timor-Leste capital of Dili.
Pope Francis was greeted by Minister for Culture, Community and Youth Edwin Tong and Ms Janet Ang, Singapore’s non-resident ambassador to the Vatican.
He was also treated to a performance of the local classic Singapore Town by four youths, who greeted the pontiff in Malay, English, Tamil and Mandarin.
Pope Francis then headed to the Jurassic Mile along Airport Boulevard, where he met about 1,000 volunteers who played a part in organising his visit. They were mostly dressed in yellow and white, the colours of the Vatican flag.
A slight drizzle didn't dampen the spirits of the crowd.
As the pontiff made his way through in a buggy, they chanted "Viva, Viva, Papa Francesco" - which means "Long live Pope Francis".
One volunteer, Ms Jennifer Zidon, said that the rain helped to make the weather cooler and saw it as a sign of blessing.
Her fellow volunteer Ms Annie Wong said that seeing the pope in person was "unreal", and that she is looking forward to the papal mass on Thursday, which is the climax of Pope Francis' visit for her.
Ms Veron Shoba, another volunteer, recalled the visit of Pope John Paul II when she was younger. "So this is the second time (seeing a pope in Singapore), and I am so happy because the songs and everything is coming back to my memory," she told CNA.
Pope Francis will have a private meeting with members of the Society of Jesus at the St Francis Xavier Retreat Centre in Punggol in the evening.
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A 38-YEAR WAIT
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Singapore first confirmed Pope Francis’ visit here in April this year.
A total of 5,000 volunteers are involved in the event, with planning starting as early as February this year.
Among the volunteers present to welcome the pontiff on Wednesday was Ms Joyce Chia, who is part of the team facilitating movements for the visit.
“I feel really excited. In fact, most of us mentioned that we couldn’t even sleep. We slept really late," said Ms Chia, who is in her 50s and works in the wellness industry.
She added that the preparation for the visit was "very intense and very thorough", and involved several meetings and calls.
"They (the organisers) even went to the extent of measuring how many normal human steps it takes, how many seconds and how long it will take to move people, and ... the distance of each step.
"I think coming down to the specifics was really good," she said.
Ms Chia added that being there to welcome Pope Francis was a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
"There’s not much (of a) crowd, I get to see the Pope quite upfront and personal, and it's as close as it gets I think," she said.
The last time Singapore hosted a papal visit was in 1986, when then-Pope John Paul II made a five-hour stop on a regional tour that included Bangladesh, New Zealand and Australia.
The 87-year-old Pope Francis is visiting four countries over 12 days, his longest trip since becoming head of the Catholic Church in 2013.
In Singapore, Pope Francis will have official meetings as well as engagements with the community.
He will attend a welcome ceremony at Parliament House on Thursday morning, and have an orchid hybrid named after him.
Pope Francis will then meet President Tharman Shanmugaratnam and Prime Minister and Minister for Finance Lawrence Wong.
The pontiff will also deliver a state address to members of the government and civil society at the National University of Singapore’s University Cultural Centre.
On Thursday evening, he will deliver the homily in a mass held at the National Stadium, which is expected to be attended by 50,000 people.
The mass will involve 1,600 choir members, 390 Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion, 656 wardens, 300 altar servers, 128 medics and nurses and 260 crowd control officers.
Pope Francis will then round off his Singapore stop with a visit to elderly residents at St Theresa’s Home in Upper Thomson Road on Friday morning, and an interreligious meeting with youths at Catholic Junior College.
