On the final leg of his 12-day journey to the East, Pope Francis moved from three countries struggling with poverty to a world of opulence in Singapore, the world’s third-largest financial hub. Although there were no crowds on the streets to greet him, his first full day in this city-state was nevertheless marked by two quite distinct but significant events.
First, he gave an address at the national university about the situation in Singapore today and the important contribution it can make in a world stricken by wars and the environmental crisis. Second, he presided at a Mass in the national stadium, attended by 50,000 members of Singapore’s small Catholic community.
Address to civil authorities
At the national university, seven miles from the city center, on the morning of Sept. 12, Francis addressed an audience of 1,000 of the country’s authorities and representatives of its civil society and the diplomatic corps. He highlighted Singapore’s notable achievements in building a harmonious society, pinpointed areas requiring improvement and emphasized the great contribution Singapore can make at the international level through its commitment to multilateralism, the protection of the environment and sustainable development.
Singapore’s President Tharman Shanmugaratnam, a graduate of the London School of Economics and Harvard University, welcomed Francis as “an impassioned global voice against war.” He praised him for “consistently” calling “for efforts to promote harmony and dialogue between different groups and faiths” and said this is an issue that “resonates with Singaporeans” who are “a multi-racial, multi-religious, and multicultural society.” Indeed, he said, “diversity…defines our very identity as a nation.”
Under Francis’ leadership, he said, the Holy See “has been a strong and principled advocate for human fraternity and environmental sustainability,” issues Francis had “spoken passionately about” during his journey in Southeast Asia.
He praised Francis’ support for the 2015 Paris Agreement, his call for an agreement on climate action at COP28 and his encyclical, “Laudato Si’.”
He concluded by telling Pope Francis, “As we continue this journey of seeking solutions to common challenges, I am confident that the ties between Singapore and the Holy See, as friends and partners, will continue to deepen in the years ahead.”
Francis thanked the president for inviting him to Singapore, “a commercial crossroads of primary importance, ” where a first time visitor “cannot fail to be impressed by the mass of ultra-modern skyscrapers that seem to rise from the sea” and are “a testimony to human ingenuity, the dynamism of Singaporean society and the acumen of the entrepreneurial spirit.”
Singapore’s story is “one of growth and resilience,” he said. “From humble beginnings, this nation has reached an advanced level of development, which can only stem from rational decisions and not by chance.”
Speaking in Italian, with simultaneous translation, Francis said, “It is important that Singapore has not only prospered economically but has also striven to build a society in which social justice and the common good are held in high regard.” He commended its “commitment to improving the quality of life of citizens through public housing policies, high quality education and an efficient health care system” and hoped this will continue and benefit all Singaporeans.
After this lavish praise, Francis gently suggested areas for improvement. He warned against “the risk entailed in focusing solely on pragmatism or placing merit above all things,” which brings “the unintended consequence of justifying the exclusion of those on the margins from benefiting from progress.” He advocated “special attention” to “the poor and the elderly.”
Aware that Singapore is a highly technologized society, Francis reminded them that “the sophisticated technologies of the digital age and rapid developments in the use of artificial intelligence must not lead us to forget about the essential need to cultivate real and concrete human relationships.”
Ever sensitive to the plight of migrants, Francis, the son of immigrants, called on the Singaporean authorities to ensure protection for “the dignity of migrant workers,” who, he said, “contribute a great deal to society and should be guaranteed a fair wage.” He was alluding to the fact that more than one million migrants from Bangladesh, Thailand, Indonesia and India, are working in the construction and fishing industry of Singapore but are paid low wages and live in dormitories. There are also about 200,000 women who are domestic workers from the Philippines.
He described Singapore as “a mosaic of ethnicities, cultures and religions living together in harmony” and said that “mutual respect, cooperation, dialogue and the freedom to exercise one’s beliefs within the confines of the law” are “the conditions that allow for Singapore’s success and stability. They are necessary for avoiding conflict and chaos and provide instead for a balanced and sustainable development.”
Francis declared that Singapore has “a specific role to play on the international level” in a world “threatened by conflict and wars that have spilled much blood.” He encouraged it “to continue to work in favor of the unity and fraternity of humanity and the common good of all peoples and all nations, in a way that does not exclude others or is restricted to your national interests.”
Singapore’s president, in his welcome address, had thanked the Catholic Church for contributing to the nation in the fields of education and health care. Francis added that it had done this from the beginning and has also contributed through humanitarian organizations, including Caritas.
Francis, in his address, recalled that implementing the teachings of the Second Vatican Council, “the church has constantly promoted interreligious dialogue and cooperation between different faith communities, in a spirit of openness and mutual respect, which are fundamental for building a just and peaceful society.”
Furthermore, he said he had come to Singapore “to confirm Catholics in their faith” and “to encourage them to continue, with joy and dedication, their cooperation with all men and women of good will in building a healthy and cohesive civil society for the sake of the common good.”
Singapore’s president said sustainability has been “a national priority” ever since the country gained its independence 59 years ago, and “it has sought to balance development with environmental responsibility.”
Francis commended Singapore for this and asserted, “We should not underestimate the impact that a small nation like Singapore can have in this regard.” He said Singapore’s “unique location gives you access to capital, technology and talent, resources that can drive innovation in order to take better care of our common home.”
He hailed Singapore as “a shining example of what humanity can achieve by working together in harmony, with a sense of responsibility and a spirit of inclusiveness and fraternity.” He encouraged them “to continue on this path, trusting in God’s promise and his fatherly love for all.”
Mass at the National Stadium
That afternoon, Pope Francis traveled 10 miles outside the city to the National Stadium to celebrate Mass attended by 50,000 Catholics, one-eighth of Singapore’s total Catholic population. He began by driving around the stadium in a golf cart and stopped several times to embrace, shake hands, kiss or otherwise greet about 100 children in the space of half an hour, drawing warm applause and even tears from many in the stadium. He had not seen children on the streets as he had in the other countries he visited, but to his great joy, he found them in the stadium.
He then concelebrated Mass with 50 bishops from many Asian countries including Cardinals William Seng Chye Goh of Singapore, Stephen Chow of Hong Kong, Charles Bo of Myanmar, Sebastian Francis of Malaysia and Luis Antonio Tagle of the Philippines as well as 280 priests.
Singapore’s prime minister, Lawrence Wong, who is Methodist, was present at the Mass, as were several cabinet ministers and members of the diplomatic corps.
In his homily, Francis focused on the theme of love. Commenting on the extraordinarily beautiful works of architecture in Singapore, including the national stadium and countless skyscrapers, he said:
If there is anything good that exists and endures in this world, it is only because, in innumerable situations, love has prevailed over hate, solidarity over indifference, generosity over selfishness. Without this, no one here would have been able to give rise to such a great metropolis, for the architects would not have designed it, the workers would not have worked on it and nothing would have been achieved.
He recalled that in this stadium on Nov. 20, 1986, Pope John Paul II said, “Love is characterized by a deep respect for all people, regardless of their race, belief or whatever makes them different from ourselves.”
Francis added:
These are important words for us because, beyond the astonishment we feel in front of human works, they remind us that there is an even greater wonder to be embraced with even greater admiration and respect: namely, the brothers and sisters we meet, without discrimination, every day on our path, as we see in Singaporean society and the church, which are ethnically diverse and yet united and in solidarity!
He added, “The most beautiful building, the most precious treasure, the most profitable investment in God’s eyes, then, is ourselves, for we are beloved children of the same Father, called in turn to spread love.”
By his words, but above all by his presence here, Pope Francis brought immense joy to the Catholics of Singapore. Kelly Darmati, born in Singapore and a member of the Divine World Apostolate, told me: “Pope Francis really cares about everyone, even the smallest ones. Look at how he responds to the children. With his coming here, there’s hope. He offers hope to everyone.”
Her friend, Sharon Khng, felt “emotional and excited” at being present at the Mass. As a young girl, she had attended Pope John Paul II’s Mass in 1986. She said, “Pope Francis has come here to pray for all of us, and for peace and unity. He’s a very humble man, even in the transport he uses. He’s a man with a good heart.”
In addition to Singaporeans, there were also 310 migrants at the Mass, including Jerome Taboclaon, an electrical engineer from the Philippines, who came with his wife, Rachel, and 4-year-old son, Jesse. “We came because this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” he said. “It is a blessing for us to be here, and to give witness to what we have experienced. I felt happiness when I saw Pope Francis. I felt blessed.”
Many people I spoke to said they were deeply impressed by the fact that Francis made a long journey to visit “this small country.” Adeline Ng summed up the feelings expressed by many: “It means he loves us.”
Francis concludes his visit to Singapore by meeting 1,500 young people from different religions. He will then drive to the airport for the 12-and-a-half-hour flight to Rome, during which he is expected to give a press conference.
