Singapore is the final stop in Pope Francis' 12-day trip to the region.
Ms Janet Ang, 64 , non-resident ambassador to the Vaticanwho is Catholic, said she was over the moon upon hearing the news.
In her annual audience with the Pope, Ms Ang has repeated the same message every year: “Your Holiness, Singapore is waiting for you.” In Singapore, he will preside at mass at the National Stadium for close to 50,000 Catholics, give a State Address and have an inter-religious dialogue with youths from different religions, among other engagements such as meeting Singapore’s leaders.When asked why she thinks the Pope had chosen to include Singapore in his itinerary, Ms Ang said she gathered from her interactions with Vatican officials that the Holy See is impressed by the Republic’s religious diversity and harmony.
While many Catholics are looking forward to seeing the pontiff, some non-Catholics are also excited by his visit too, Ms Ang said. For example, after the formal introductory conversation with Mr Tong in 2022, Pope Francis walked across the room to shake hands with every member of the Singapore delegation, from the security personnel to MCCY staff.“Usually leaders have no time. It’s not that they don’t want to, but they are not expected to go say hello to the last man or woman out on the fringes ,” she said. “Pope Francis walks the talk, and he exhorts all to go to the fringes of society to bring them joy.
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