Pope Francis is planning a 12-day long trip to Asia in September this year. As per reports, he will visit Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Timor-Leste, and Singapore as part of his visit. What’s interesting is that this would be his longest foreign trip as a pope and the first of this year. There are speculations on whether the Pope will embark on this Asian trip because of his increasing frailty and other age-related ailments.
The Vatican Announces Asia Trip For Pope Francis In September
According to the Vatican, Pope Francis will visit several Asian countries in September this year. His Asian trip will take place from September 2 to 13. This will be the longest trip of Francis’s 11-year papacy. He will visit Jakarta, Indonesia; Port Moresby and Vanimo, Papua New Guinea; Dili, Timor-Leste; and Singapore. More details on this visit will be revealed later.
During this trip, the Pope will interact with millions of Catholics in these countries and “strengthen the message of tolerance, unity, and world peace.” According to data shared by ABC News, Indonesia is home to almost 8.5 million Catholics and Singapore has a Catholic population of 395,000. Meanwhile, 97.6% of Timor-Leste’s population is Catholic. Furthermore, if the visit goes as planned, then Francis will be the first pope to visit Papua New Guinea since St. John Paul II’s visit in 1984.
Pope’s Health Raises Concern & Speculation
Amid the announcement of the Pope’s Asian trip, there are many concerns regarding his health. The 87-year-old has previously skipped engagements due to his poor health and frailty. He last travelled to Marseille, France for a two-day trip in September 2023. In November 2023, he skipped the COP28 climate conference in Dubai because of a lung inflammation.
This has raised concerns and speculations about this Asian trip as well. It has been reported that he has been suffering on and off from cold, bronchitis, and influenza over the last few months. He also needs assistance from a wheelchair or a cane to move around due to a knee ailment.
We wish the Pope the best of health and hope he can embark on this Asian trip as planned.
Cover Image Courtesy: Wikimedia Commons
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