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Pope Francis lands in Singapore; inter-faith discussion, climate on agenda

Pope Francis got here in Singapore on Wednesday afternoon from East Timor, where he is expected to focus on interfaith discussion and reinforce the Catholic Church's presence in a region where it is a small minority.

The pope is on the final leg of an ambitious 12-day journey across Southeast Asia and Oceania, the longest trip of his papacy. His two-night stay in the city-state, an international financial hub, will consist of a speech to the country's political authorities, where the pope might also deal with problems such as wealth inequality and climate change.

Francis will likewise commemorate a Mass the Vatican anticipates to draw some 55,000 people, consisting of Catholics who are travelling from Hong Kong for the event.

The Vatican is currently renegotiating a

controversial deal

with China over the visit of Catholic bishops in the nation, which is up for renewal in October.

Singapore, with a population of 5.92 million, is plurality Buddhist, with about 31% of people identifying with that faith. The Vatican counts about 210,000 Catholics in the nation. There are also strong Muslim, Hindu and Taoist neighborhoods.

Inter-faith dialogue has actually been a

central theme

of Francis' 11-year papacy, and in Singapore he will host an inter-religious conference with young people from different faith customs. Wealth inequality and environment change are other

frequent styles

.

Singapore's government says rising sea levels due to international warming could have significant ramifications for its low-lying shoreline and it is planning to invest S$ 100 billion ($ 77. billion) over the course of the century on the concern. While in the nation, pope will likewise hold personal meetings with. President Tharman Shanmugaratnam, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong,. and former Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.

Francis is just the 2nd pope to visit Singapore,. following a short 5-hour stopover by the late John Paul II in. 1986. The nation counts about 210,000 Catholics among its 5.92. million individuals, according to the Vatican. The pope arrived from Dili, East Timor's capital, where on. Tuesday he commemorated Mass with an approximated 600,000 of the. nation's 1.3 million population, in among the biggest ever. turnouts as a proportion of a nation's population for a Mass. throughout a papal check out. On landing in Singapore, Francis was satisfied by Edwin Tong, the. Minister for Culture, Neighborhood and Youth, and got flowers. from regional school children. Outside the airport, regional media. reported that about 1,000 Catholics hoped and waved the flags. of. The pope's schedule for the rest of Wednesday is light, with. only a private conference with the nation's neighborhood of Jesuit. priests prepared. The meetings with politicians and Mass. will happen on Thursday, before he returns to Rome on. Friday.

Francis' 12-day tour has likewise consisted of drop in Indonesia. and Papua New Guinea.

(source: Reuters)