Pope Francis will visit Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, East Timor and Singapore from September 2 to 13, the Vatican announced on Friday, in what will be his longest trip since his election as Supreme Pontiff in 2013.
For the 87-year-old Argentine pontiff, it will be the first trip abroad in a year, and a great challenge given the numerous health problems he has had in recent months, which have forced him to cancel several commitments.
Francis will begin his 30,000 kilometer journey in Jakarta from 3 to 6 June. Then he will travel to Papua and then to Dili, the capital of East Timor, and Singapore, the director of the Holy See press service, Matteo Bruni, announced in a note.
The announcement comes just days after the pope’s health was once again a cause for concern. And on Good Friday, March 29th, he had to cancel his participation in the Via Crucis at the last moment. Even on Palm Sunday he was unable to deliver the planned homily.
In recent years Jorge Mario Bergoglio, who has been using a wheelchair for two years, has had numerous health problems, particularly with his knees, hips and colon, as well as breathing difficulties.
The tour promises to be ambitious for the head of the Catholic Church, as it involves more than 30 hours of flight, eight hours of jet lag and a series of meetings and masses.
Indonesia, which is home to the world’s largest Muslim population, estimated in a statement on Friday that this visit is of “significant importance (…) not only for Catholics, but also for all religious communities.”
East Timor, a former Portuguese colony and subsequently occupied by Indonesia (1975-1999), also has a predominantly Catholic population.
The pontiff also expressed a desire to visit Argentina, where he had not been since his election as pope eleven years ago, although the Vatican has not confirmed this nor has a date been set.
Francesco also has three trips to Italy planned soon, the first of which will be in Venice on April 28.
Since his election in 2013, the pope has already made 44 trips abroad, the last of which was to Marseille, southern France, last September.
Despite a serious abdominal operation in 2023, the pope continues to work at a very demanding pace in the Vatican, where he sometimes receives ten people in a single morning.
In December, bronchitis forced him to cancel his trip to Dubai for COP28, the United Nations’ major annual climate summit.
Source: Clarin
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