Pope Francis, now 87, has faced health challenges and recently started using a wheelchair. Despite this, he is currently on his longest trip as pope.
On Tuesday, he landed in Indonesia. This marks the start of a 12-day tour across four countries in Southeast Asia and the South Pacific, including Papua New Guinea, East Timor, and Singapore.
Pope ,s this journey more than longer.
It’s also the farthest distance Pope Francis has traveled since his election in 2013, covering 32,814 kilometers (about 20,000 miles).
This significant visit allows Pope Francis to emphasize key themes of his papacy, such as inter-religious dialogue and environmental protection. Moreover, it highlights a major shift within the Catholic Church: its growing focus on Asia. Catholic Church pivots to Asia.
Pope Francis has made 44 foreign visits during his pontificate. These include trips to South Korea, Japan, the Philippines, Thailand, Myanmar, and Bangladesh. He also appointed cardinals from the Philippines and South Korea to senior positions in the church’s central administration.
The Catholic Church is no longer a Eurocentric or Western institution. Churches in Asia, Africa, and Latin America now have a growing influence. As a young man, Francis wanted to be a missionary in Japan. He has since spoken favorably about church leaders, both male and female, from countries outside Europe.
Catholics in Asia are often a minority, yet they play a significant role in running schools and charitable works. “The pope is interested not so much in the number of Catholics as in their vibrancy,” said Spadaro, who will travel with Francis. In many Asian countries, the church aims to serve the “common good” and act as a “leaven.” Spadaro also noted that Asia “represents the future at this time in the world.” Catholic Church pivots to Asia.
Churches in Asia.
often a minority, focus on dialogue with other religions. This theme will be central to Pope Francis’ trip.
In Indonesia, the world’s most populous Muslim-majority country, the pope will meet religious leaders at the Istiqlal Mosque in Jakarta, the largest in Southeast Asia. Afterward, he will sign an interfaith declaration with Indonesia’s grand imam. The pope is also expected to visit the “tunnel of friendship,” an underpass linking the mosque and the neighboring Catholic cathedral. Catholic Church pivots to Asia.
Christina Kheng.
A Catholic theologian from Singapore, noted the importance of negotiating harmonious coexistence with other religions in countries like Indonesia and Singapore. She highlighted that Catholics in these regions engage in daily dialogue with people of all faiths. This stands in contrast to the challenges faced by churches in Europe and the US, where issues like polarization and secularization dominate.
Spadaro emphasized that the pope aims to signal the importance of dialogue with Islam. In East Timor, a unique Asian nation where 97% of the population is Catholic, the government adopted a human fraternity document signed by Pope Francis and the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar as a national text. Catholic Church pivots to Asia.
Michel Chambon, an expert on Asian Catholicism, said the pope’s visit will strengthen relations and mutual understanding. He noted that the Vatican is much more than a European state.
Vatican’s relationship with China.
During this visit, the Vatican’s relationship with China, an officially atheist state where religious practice is tightly controlled, will be a subtle but significant backdrop. Pope Francis continues to push for rebuilding diplomatic ties with Beijing. Catholic Church pivots to Asia.
In China, Catholicism is one of five state-recognized religions. For decades, state-sanctioned Catholic churches were led by bishops appointed by Beijing, not the Holy See. This changed with a 2018 agreement between the two sides, though details remain undisclosed. Many in China’s underground congregations, who have stayed loyal to Rome despite persecution, fear being abandoned. Catholic Church pivots to Asia.
The Holy See-China
The Holy See-China agreement has faced criticism, but the Vatican believes it is showing results. The Vatican hopes to establish a permanent office in China, and the pope has expressed his desire to visit the country.
Supporters of this patient diplomacy strategy highlight the Vatican’s improved relationship with Vietnam, another Communist-ruled nation. After years of negotiations, the pope appointed the first resident ambassador to Hanoi at the end of last year. Catholic Church pivots to Asia.
Pope Francis’ trip will also take him to regions vulnerable to rising sea levels and natural disasters, such as Papua New Guinea, which is on the front line of the climate crisis. The pope has consistently emphasized that protecting the planet is a crucial moral issue. This visit offers him another opportunity to urge world leaders to take stronger action on climate change.
lengthy journey
By undertaking this lengthy journey after more than 11 years as pope, Francis sends a clear message to those who think his pontificate is losing momentum, even at the highest levels of the church. Spadaro notes that this trip highlights the “liveliness of the pontificate at this moment.” Catholic Church pivots to Asia.
As usual, Pope Francis will travel with a doctor and two nurses. Despite the risks of such a long and demanding visit at his age, he is a pope who is willing to take risks and deliver surprises. He is determined to make this one of the most ambitious trips of his pontificate.