Working together for harmony and peace

Pope Francis has begun the fourth and final leg of his 12-day Apostolic Journey. Now it is the Southeast Asian City-State of Singapore to welcome the Holy Father, who arrived at Changi Airport at 14.52 local time on Wednesday, 11 September.

There was a palpable sense of excitement among Singapore’s residents, young and old, who were making final preparations for the Holy Father’s arrival.

A flurry of activity greeted our team at the Junior Catholic College, where young people were rehearsing for Pope Francis’ interreligious meeting with them, scheduled for Friday, 13 September.

Sister Theresa Seow Lee Huang, fdcc, the vice chairperson of the Archdiocese and Council for Interreligious Dialogue, and the vice chairperson of the event for interreligious youth, shared her hope that Pope Francis’ visit would be a source of renewal for interreligious dialogue in Singapore.

“We hope that with the visit, and bringing all the young people from the different religions together, even after the Holy Father has left, it begins a momentum really to pull the young people to work for harmony and peace”, said the Canossian sister.

She also noted that the number of religious vocations in the Southeast Asian country is low. “Many of the religious are facing also a drop in the number of young people joining the religious life”, she explained, adding, “I think when it comes to permanent commitment, this is something that not many are prepared to step up to”.

In the Lion City (as Singapore is often called), Christians make up about 18 percent of the population, and Catholics only 3.5 percent (about 176,000 people). Buddhists are the largest group, accounting for about 33 percent of the more than 5 million inhabitants, while Muslims make up about 15 percent; Taoists 11 percent; Hindus 5 percent; and non-religious about 17 percent.

The population is about 74 percent Chinese, 13.5 percent Malay, and 9 percent Indian.

The multi-religious and multi-cultural character of this city-state is due in part to its strategic location where major East and West shipping lanes converge.

Its location is also the reason behind its notable economic development, which has made the city-state a bustling financial hub and a destination for migrants looking for better job opportunities than those their home countries can provide.

In fact, according to Singapore’s Ministry of Manpower, as of December 2023, foreign workers make up about 38 percent of the labour force. That is 1.52 million people, from Asia, Europe, the Americas and Africa.

Jacob Soo, Executive Director of the Archdiocesan Commission for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People (ACMI), explained, “While there’s recognition of the economic benefits and the cultural diversity that migrants bring, there are also concerns about job competition, integration and social cohesion.”

That’s why he sees the Holy Father’s visit to Singapore as a positive occasion. Pope Francis’ visit is “a powerful reminder that God walks with us, especially with the most vulnerable, and identifies himself with them”. He hoped it would be an opportunity “to promote unity, inclusivity, empathy, compassion and give hope to the people”.

Another big challenge in Singapore is its ageing population. Victor Seng, Executive Director of St. Theresa’s Home for the elderly – which the Pope visited on Friday – explained that many families are not able to look after their elderly, so they take them to nursing homes like St. Theresa’s.

He expects that due to the low birthrate – partly the result of high costs of raising children in Singapore – in three- or four-years’ time, about 60 or 70 percent of the population will be above the age of 60. But the residents, Catholic and non-Catholic, were all very excited to welcome their guest from Rome. “We are actually very happy, honored and privileged to have Pope Francis visiting Saint Theresa’s home”, assured Mr Seng.

“I think he will make us very, very happy, coming to visit us, said Bridget Ng, a resident at the home.

Other key issues in Singapore include housing needs and ever less sufficient public welfare.

Despite these wide-ranging challenges, Pope Francis found a dynamic and lively Church throughout his visit, during which he delivered two public addresses: one during his meeting with authorities, civil society and the diplomatic corps, on Thursday, and the other during an interreligious meeting with young people, on Friday.

Upon his arrival, the Pope held a private meeting with members of the Society of Jesus present in the country, at the St. Francis Xavier Retreat Center where he will be hosted for the duration of his stay.

On Thursday, the Holy Father paid a courtesy visit to the president, the prime minister, and the former prime minister. In the afternoon, he presided over Holy Mass at Singapore National Stadium.

On Friday, 13 September, before meeting with the elderly at St. Theresa’s, the Holy Father had a private meeting with the bishop, priests and consecrated men and women at the St. Francis Xavier Retreat Center.

By Claudia Torres – Singapore