Pope Francis' Historic Visit to Singapore: A Milestone in Southeast Asia

Pope Francis made a historic visit to Singapore, marking the final stop of his ambitious 12-day tour across Southeast Asia and Oceania. This visit includes meetings with political leaders and a Mass at the National Stadium. It signifies the pope's continued commitment to engaging with diverse communities around the world.

Pope Francis arrived in Singapore Wednesday afternoon from East Timor, marking the final leg of a bold 12-day journey across Southeast Asia and Oceania.

The Aero Dili flight carrying the pope and his entourage landed in the city-state for a two-night visit, which will feature a speech to political authorities and a Mass at the National Stadium expected to attract around 55,000 people. During his stay, he will also meet privately with President Tharman Shanmugaratnam, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, and former Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.

Francis is the second pope to visit Singapore, following a brief layover by the late John Paul II in 1986. The nation has about 210,000 Catholics out of its 5.92 million residents. Prior to Singapore, the pope celebrated Mass in East Timor's capital, Dili, with an estimated 600,000 attendees, one of the largest turnouts proportionally for a Mass during a papal visit.

Upon arrival in Singapore, Francis was greeted by Edwin Tong, the Minister for Culture, Community and Youth, and received flowers from local school children. His schedule for the rest of Wednesday was light, including a private meeting with the country's Jesuit priests. His other engagements will proceed on Thursday, before he returns to Rome on Friday.

Francis' 12-day tour also included significant stops in Indonesia and Papua New Guinea.

(With inputs from agencies.)