Able and willing superstar

First, despite rumors to the contrary, Pope Francis is still up to the job.

In just 11 days (Sept. 2-13), he visited four countries where the heat and humidity sap anyone's strength, much less an 87-year-old's.

True, he spent much of his time in a wheelchair, but his mind remained sharp as he sat through friendly and substantive conversations with scores of ecclesial as well as political leaders.

The Pope has another trip scheduled Sept. 26-29, this time to Belgium, followed by a month-long synod in October. Clearly, this pope is not ready to step down.

Second, this pope is a superstar.

Wherever Francis went, huge crowds flocked to see him. In Catholic East Timor, it is estimated half the country attended his Mass, but in every country where he took the stage, Catholic or not, the venue was filled to capacity and beyond.

RNS Vatican reporter Claire Giangrave reports that in Singapore, "a country where only 6.7 percent of the population identifies as Catholic, it came as a surprise that Francis could compete with international artists who performed at the same venue this year, including Coldplay, Ed Sheeran and Taylor Swift."

Pastoral messages

Third, the pope brought a pastoral message of comfort and challenge to Catholics in Asia.

In most of Asia, Catholics are a small minority often subject to persecution.

In Muslim-majority Indonesia, where Catholics are only about three percent of the population, the Government officially tolerates all religions, but some areas nonetheless enforce Islamic law, known as Shariah.

To be able to gather in large numbers to pray with the Pope and celebrate the Eucharist allows these Catholics to feel the support of the worldwide Church. It is a special blessing they will remember the rest of their lives.

As a pastor, the Pope made a special effort to meet with children and the marginalised. These folks are always close to the Pope's heart. He enjoys meeting them more than with all the "important" people he has to meet during his visits.

But he does not come just to comfort; he also challenges Catholics to spread the Gospel, the good news of God's love for all people and our responsibility to care for one another.

In East Timor, he challenged young people to "not be deceived by consumerism and materialism and their promise of a comfortable and uncommitted life, which give the appearance of happiness but in reality are empty and illusory."

He invited them to "make the world a better place" where "justice and prosperity continue to spread for all people."

Fourth, the Pope brought a message of interreligious dialogue and cooperation.

Building on the interreligious groundwork of St. John Paul II, Francis is the apostle of interreligious understanding. He goes out of his way to meet with leaders of other faiths to foster trust and connection.

Dialogue is essential, Francis told Indonesian leaders, calling it "indispensable for meeting common challenges, including that of countering extremism and intolerance, which through the distortion of religion attempt to impose their views by using deception and violence."

The Pope especially wanted to go to Indonesia because it is the largest Muslim country in the world. He has met with leading Muslim clerics in Iraq, Egypt and elsewhere. He has signed documents with Sunni and Shiite leaders pledging to work together for peace, human development and to protect the planet.

In Indonesia, he met with Grand Imam Nasaruddin Umar at the famed Istiqlal Mosque, which is connected to the Catholic cathedral by a "Tunnel of Friendship."

They signed a joint declaration, "Fostering Religious Harmony for the Sake of Humanity," calling for cooperation in the fight against dehumanisation and climate change.

The Pope called for unity in the "defense of human dignity, the fight against poverty and the promotion of peace."

He praised Indonesia and Singapore for their stress on harmony, peace and cooperation among believers of all faiths.

In Singapore he listened to young Christians, Hindus and Sikhs speak on a range of issues and told them: "All religions are a journey leading to God. They are, to make a comparison, like different languages, different idioms, to get there.

"But God is for everyone. And since God is God for everyone, we are all children of God."

Fifth, the pope joined his voice with residents of island nations suffering from climate change.

Parts of Jakarta are sinking into the sea. Pacific islands are threatened by sea level rise. Global warming will be devastating for the countries Francis visited.

In East Timor, the Pope met with environmental activists who have been inspired by his 2015 encyclical, "Laudato Si'."

According Isaura Baptista Barros, writing at NCRonline, the pope "emphasised that true freedom is not merely the ability to act according to our desires, but rather the freedom to take responsibility. One of our core responsibilities is to care for our common home."

But though climate change has been a major theme for Francis, Christopher White of the National Catholic Reporter pointed out that it was more often brought up by those he encountered than by the pope himself, showing that for Asians climate change is more urgent than for many in the West, and they see him as an ally.

Sixth, Francis never forgets the poor and marginalised.

He reminded government officials and rich Asians that they have a responsibility to make sure that the poor participate in the growing prosperity of the region.

In Singapore, one of the richest cities in the world, the Pope told political leaders, "I would like to highlight the risk entailed in focusing solely on pragmatism or placing merit above all things, namely the unintended consequence of justifying the exclusion of those on the margins from benefiting from progress."

He called on them to give attention to the poor and the elderly.

Francis placed special emphasis on "protecting the dignity of migrant workers" who "contribute a great deal to society and should be guaranteed a fair wage."

In several places on his tour, the Pope visited poor and students being helped by Catholic programs.

In Papua New Guinea, where half the women report being raped, Francis advocated for the rights of women and their need for protection. He emphasised this point by visiting the Caritas Technical Secondary School, which educates girls and young women with disabilities.

Follow your conscience

Lastly, at the conclusion of his trip, Francis told Catholic voters in the United States to follow their consciences in the upcoming presidential election.

In response to a question at his news conference on the plane as he was returning to Rome, what the Pope did not say was as important as what he did say. He did not tell Catholics whom to vote for. They are free to follow their consciences and vote for whom they think will be the best president.

Unlike their evangelical Christian counterparts, U.S. Catholic clergy traditionally talk about issues and values but do not endorse political candidates or parties. The pope kept to that tradition.

Like many Americans, he did not seem happy with either major-party candidate. He told Americans that they had to choose the lesser of two evils.

With regard to issues that Catholics should consider, he mentioned abortion and the treatment of migrants, although on both issues, the Pope is going against the tide of American public opinion, which is pro-choice and anti-immigrant.

"Both (candidates) are against life, be it the one who kicks out migrants or the one who (supports) killing babies," Francis said.

"Both are against life." He could have added other issues like global warming, health care, poverty and the wars in Gaza and Ukraine. All of these are issues about which the Pope has expressed great concern, and they will be impacted by the November election.

It's a message that fit with a trip that showed a pastor's concern for the concrete problems of individuals and a world leader's calls for all people to work for justice, peace and the protection of the planet.

• First published by Religion News Service
• Thomas J. Reese, SJ is an American Catholic Jesuit priest, author, and journalist.

The papal trip, which will take place Sept. 2-13, presents the most ambitious schedule that Francis has ever faced on an apostolic visit.

He will visit four countries — Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Timor-Leste and Singapore — crossing over 20,000 miles for a total of 44 flight hours.

Francis' age and health struggles, including a brief hospital visit in February, have led some Vatican experts to speculate whether the papal trip might be one of the last. But defying expectations, the pope has already scheduled travel to Belgium and Luxembourg Sept. 26-29.

"I'll be honest: I'm younger than the pope, and I feel that these long trips are hard," said Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, 67, in an interview with Vatican News outlets.

"To embrace this hardship is an act of humanity for him. It's not a show to prove what he is still capable of," he added.

Pope's message

In the diverse ethnic and cultural tapestry of these South Asian countries, Francis is expected to bring his message for pluralism and dialogue with Muslim communities as well as an emphasis on poverty and migration.

The Argentine pope has increasingly shifted the attention of the Catholic Church toward the Global South, where religion isn't being defeated by the secularism of Europe, and the population has grown consistently for decades.

"Many Western countries are returning to the experience of a church that is like a small flock. It can be positive to look at the churches in many Eastern countries to see how to act when you are in this situation, in a state of smallness," Tagle said.

All four countries that the pope will visit have been previously visited by his predecessors, and many have a long history of martyrdom and missionaries, including the Jesuit St. Francis Xavier.

These countries have a "rich and troubled history of evangelization," said Vatican spokesperson Matteo Bruni during a briefing to Vatican reporters on Friday (Aug. 30), adding Francis' visit will acknowledge the past and current challenges.

Indonesia, with its massive archipelago of islands with unique cultural, religious and ethnic backgrounds, will be the Pope's first stop on his voyage, and it will give Francis the opportunity to address the country's "vocation for pluralism," Bruni explained.

Having landed in Jakarta, Indonesia, the Pope will begin his official meetings with state and diplomacy representatives on Sept. 3 when he will pronounce his first official speech of the trip.

On the same day, he is expected to meet with the leaders and faithful of the Catholic community in the country at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption followed by an encounter with young students of the international education organization Scholas Occurrentes.

"The visit has been welcomed with great interest, especially by Catholics in the country, but also by Muslims," said Fr. Markus Solo, a member of the Vatican's Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue, during a meeting with Vatican journalists.

Indonesia and Papua New Guinea

Indonesia is considered the largest Muslim-majority country in the world, and Catholics are considered a minority, comprising roughly three percent of the population. Dialogue with Islam is a major element of Francis' efforts as pope, having co-signed a historic document on human fraternity with the Grand Imam of al-Azhar in 2019.

The same messages of tolerance and cohabitation will likely emerge on Thursday, Sept. 5, when Francis will take part in an interreligious meeting at the Istiqlal Mosque, the largest in Southeast Asia.

Francis will also meet with representatives of local Catholic charities that same day, before celebrating Mass at the Galora Bung Karno Stadium.

The Pope will step foot on the continent of Oceania for the first time when he arrives in Papua New Guinea on Sept. 6.

The next day he will meet with the general governor and then with the representatives of APEC, the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation of 21 economies, including China, Russia and Taiwan.

In the afternoon, Francis will also meet with students and children being catered to by Catholic charities, and he will have a chance to meet with Catholic clergy in the country.

On Sept. 8, the pope will celebrate Mass at the Sir John Guise Stadium and later get on a plane toward the province of Sandaun for a two-hour meeting with Argentine missionaries.

After a meeting with local youth on Sept. 9, Francis will have a chance to say goodbye to the people of Papua New Guinea during an open-air Mass.

Bruni said that these countries "caught between the ocean and the sky" will likely provide the opportunity for the Pope to discuss the importance of caring for the environment and to cherish the traditions and teachings of indigenous populations.

When Pope John Paul II visited Timor-Leste in 1989, his visit became a catalyst for independence as global attention centered on its impoverished people.

Francis will encounter the youngest country in Asia when he lands on Tuesday (Sept. 10), but poverty still afflicts many of its citizens.

Timore-Leste

Timor-Leste is the only Catholic-majority country in Southeast Asia, and it will offer Francis a chance to speak to numerous faithful in the region who have been longing to see the pope.

Challenging the church's reputation in the young Catholic country are the recent scandals concerning sexual abuse.

The Vatican admitted in 2022 that it had applied restrictions on East Timorese Bishop Carlos Filipe Ximenes Belo in 2020 following reports that he had sexually abused at least six minors in the 1990s.

Belo was considered a hero of the Timor-Leste independence and won a Nobel Peace Prize in 1996.

Francis is expected to address the scandals during his visit, and the sex abuse crisis will likely cast a shadow on the trip.

After official and diplomatic encounters, Francis will visit the school for children with disabilities, Irmãs Alma.

He will also meet with representatives of the clergy and members of the Jesuit community. Francis is expected to celebrate an open-air Mass at Taci Tolu wetlands and meet with young Catholics in the country.

Singapore

The final destination of the pope's lengthy journey will be Singapore, and the towering iron buildings of the southeastern financial power will likely be in stark contrast to the jungles and beaches of the other countries.

Francis will likely address the challenges of technological and economic development while in Singapore, Bruni said.

Recently elected Prime Minister Lawrence Wong is the first Christian to hold that office in the country.

After a welcoming ceremony at the Parliament House on Thursday (Sept. 12) the Pope will celebrate Mass at the national stadium.

The last day of the trip, the Pope will meet sick and elderly people at the St. Theresa house, followed by an interreligious event at the Catholic Junior College.

Most Singaporeans are Buddhists, but there is also a large percentage of non-religious, 20 percent, and Christians, 18.9 percent, according to a 2020 census.

Over 20 percent of the considerable Chinese population in Singapore is Christian, and Vatican observers have questioned whether the Pope's visit to the country will also offer an opportunity to reach out to authorities in Beijing.

The relations between the Vatican and China have been strenuous, but the two countries have recently signed a controversial deal for the appointment of bishops that is up for renewal in October.

The document allows Chinese authorities to compile a list of possible candidates for bishops that the pope can choose from.

According to the Rev. Francis Lim, the Jesuit regional superior for Malaysia and Singapore, it's "unlikely that Pope Francis will mention China while in Singapore."

The relations between China and Singapore are mainly economic, he said, and "the Government does not have a strong connection with China."

While there is nothing on the schedule concerning a meeting with Chinese authorities, Bruni said that Sino-Vatican relations remain an important subject for the Pope.

Francis has admitted to his desire to become the first Pope to visit China one day, but with his growing age and no official diplomatic relations in sight, this South Asia trip might be the closest he'll ever get.

• First published by RNS
• Claire Giangravè is a Rome-based reporter for RNS, covering the Catholic Church and the Vatican.