Pope Francis’s Apostolic Journey to Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Timor-Leste and Singapore (2-13 September 2024)

By Maria Lucia Ercole On Sep 27, 2024

Pope Francis talks about the Apostolic Journey he made in Asia and Oceania

On 18th September, during his last General Audience, Pope Francis talked about his last Apostolic Journey ( “it is called an Apostolic Journey because it is not a tourist trip, it is a journey to bring the Word of the Lord, to make the Lord known, and also to get to know the souls of the peoples…”) to Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Timor-Leste and Singapore.

This was his 45th abroad and also the longest (eleven days altogether).

His first reflection was that “in thinking of the Church, we are still too Eurocentric, or as they say, “western”. But in reality, the Church is much bigger, much bigger than Rome and Europe, much bigger! And also, if I may say so, much more alive in those countries. I experienced this in an exciting way by meeting those communities, listening to the testimonies of priests, religious sisters, laypeople, and especially catechists – catechists are those who drive evangelization. Churches that do not proselytize, but grow “by attraction”, as Benedict XVI wisely said.”

Then the Pope recalled that in Indonesia, Christians are about 10%, and Catholics about 3%, of the population, a minority. “But what I encountered is a lively, dynamic Church, capable of living and transmitting the Gospel in that country, which has a very noble culture inclined to harmonize differences, and at the same time has the largest Muslim presence in the world. In that context, I received confirmation that compassion is the path that Christians can and must walk to bear witness to Christ the Saviour, and at the same time to encounter the great religious and cultural traditions.“

Turning to Papua New Guinea, the Pope said he rediscovered the beauty of an outbound missionary Church…There, the diverse ethnic groups speak over eight hundred languages, an ideal environment for the Holy Spirit, who loves to make the message of love resonate in the symphony of languages….My heart was gladdened to be with today’s missionaries and catechists for a while;…..in them, I saw a new future, without tribal violence, without dependencies, without economic or ideological colonialisms; a future of fraternity and care for the wonderful natural environment.”

Talking about Timor-Leste, the most Catholic country in Asia, the Pope acknowledged that, like Pope St. John Paul II in his 1989 Apostolic Journey, the fruitful relationship between faith and culture.

Finally, the Pope turned to Singapore “a city-State, ultra-modern, an economic and financial hub for Asia and beyond. There, Christians are a minority, but they nonetheless form a lively Church, engaged in fostering harmony and fraternity between the various ethnicities, cultures and religions. Even in wealthy Singapore there are the “little ones”, who follow the Gospel and become salt and light, witnesses to a hope greater than what economic gains can guarantee.

On 26th September Holy Father will leave for his 46th Apostolic Journey to Luxembourg and Belgium.

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Photo by Tom Barrett su Unsplash

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