Pope Francis begins his first major international trip of the year on Monday. This 12-day journey will take him to four countries across Southeast Asia and Oceania.
The 87-year-old Pope will start his travels in Indonesia, which, despite being the world’s largest Muslim-majority country, has a Catholic population of 8.6 million. He will then proceed to Papua New Guinea, East Timor, and Singapore. Among these destinations, only East Timor has a predominantly Catholic population.
The trip marks Pope Francis’ first significant foreign excursion this year. Health problems, which have recently required him to use a wheelchair, have limited his international travel in recent years. Originally planned for 2020, this visit had to be postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This trip, along with last year’s visit to Mongolia, underscores the increasing significance of Asia and Oceania for the Catholic Church, as these regions are experiencing growth in the number of adherents.
Sending a message of peace
The visit is viewed as a gesture acknowledging the rising importance of Asia, a region where the Church is seeing growth in both baptized members and religious vocations. During this extensive tour, Pope Francis is expected to participate in over 40 events. According to Massimo Faggioli, an Italian academic, this tour represents a significant demonstration of Pope Francis’ strength.
Pope Francis will start his trip in Indonesia, the country with the largest Muslim majority population. His itinerary includes a visit to Jakarta’s main mosque and a tour of the “Tunnel of Friendship,” an underground passage completed in 2020 that connects the mosque with the country’s Catholic cathedral.
He will be joined by Grand Imam Nasaruddin Umar, and both are scheduled to participate in an interfaith event. Pope Francis, who made history in 2019 as the first pope to visit the Arabian Peninsula, has consistently prioritized Catholic-Muslim dialogue.
The pope is also expected to meet with Indonesia’s outgoing President Joko Widodo and celebrate a mass for around 80,000 attendees at a Jakarta stadium, according to an Indonesian church official.
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Papua New Guinea, East Timor, Singapore in itinerary
In Papua New Guinea, Francis will encounter missionaries from Argentina, his home country. This stop is anticipated to include discussions on climate change, addressing issues like rising sea levels and more severe heatwaves and typhoons.
Following Papua New Guinea, Francis will travel to East Timor to hold a mass on the same seaside esplanade where Pope John Paul II celebrated a liturgy in 1989. The visit by the former pope is credited with bringing global attention to Indonesia’s harsh occupation.
Given East Timor’s predominantly Catholic population, Francis may face questions related to the clergy sexual abuse scandal. In 2022, the Vatican confirmed sanctions against Bishop Carlos Ximenes Belo, an East Timor independence figure, after allegations of sexual abuse of young boys in the 1990s.
It is unclear whether Francis will address the issue of Belo during his visit, as Belo remains a respected figure for his role in East Timor’s fight for independence.
The final stop on the pontiff’s tour will be Singapore, where a majority of the population has Chinese heritage. Analysts view this visit as part of the Vatican’s strategy to enhance relations with China, which is home to approximately 12 million Catholics.
Climate change high on agenda
Pope Francis will focus on climate change during his longest-ever foreign trip, starting Monday. Rising sea levels are a significant concern. The Pope has expressed that many communities may need to relocate due to these rising levels in the coming years. This issue is already evident in Indonesia, where low-lying coastal areas face threats from subsidence and flooding. The country is responding by moving its national capital from Jakarta to a less vulnerable location on Borneo.
Pope Francis has emphasized the growing risks of increased rainfall and flooding due to rising temperatures. South East Asia and the Western Pacific are particularly vulnerable to these conditions. In May, Papua New Guinea experienced a devastating landslide, which the government attributed to heavy rains and storms, resulting in over 2,000 deaths. Indonesia also faced deadly rain-related incidents in May and August.
East Timor is working on enhancing its resilience to extreme weather after enduring its worst flooding in fifty years in 2021. A climate policy document submitted to the U.N. highlighted the risks posed by extreme rainfall during the wet season and increased drought risks during the dry season, impacting food and water security.
Singapore’s 2024 climate change assessment suggests that by the end of the century, rainfall during the monsoon season could nearly double in the worst-case scenario.
Pope Francis described the planet as having “a fever” in a recent video message. All countries on his itinerary are facing extreme heat, affecting health and economic productivity. Singapore’s climate assessment has indicated that temperatures above 35 degrees Celsius (95 Fahrenheit) could become normal by century’s end, with average temperatures potentially rising by up to 5 degrees Celsius if emissions remain high.
Prioritizing the peripheries
From the beginning of his papacy, Pope, known for prioritizing the peripheries, has gained attention through his visits to active war zones, small Christian communities, and Muslim-majority countries.
In this light, his current visit to this part of the world might seem almost routine. However, given the pope’s age and health, many view this trip as a determined effort to ensure that the issues he has championed throughout his papacy remain a priority.
An observer speculated that Pope Francis’ advisers might have suggested he avoid the trip due to health concerns. Nonetheless, it is believed that Francis made his own decision to proceed, reflecting his tendency to follow his own path, a characteristic feature of his papacy.
The observer also noted that the pope is not likely intimidated by the prospect of traveling for nearly two weeks. On the contrary, it is thought that the chance to leave the Vatican for an extended period likely excites him. Since his last international trip nearly a year ago, his focus has been on internal church matters, and he is expected to welcome the opportunity to direct attention to global issues.
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