Pope Francis to Embark on 11-Day Trip to Indonesia, PNG, East Timor, Singapore

Pope Francis is set to embark on an extensive 11-day journey beginning Tuesday, with plans to visit Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, East Timor, and Singapore.

This will be the longest trip of the 87-year-old pope’s pontificate, covering approximately 20,000 miles. It marks his 45th journey since taking on the papacy in 2013, following prior travels that included a visit to Canada in 2022.

Initially, this trip was scheduled for September 2020 but was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. His most recent international travel occurred between September 26 and 29, when he visited Luxembourg and Belgium.

The pope’s itinerary centers on themes like interreligious dialogue, promoting ethnic harmony, environmental care, advocating for immigrants, and expressing gratitude for the work of missionaries. The importance of the church’s contributions to education and healthcare will also be emphasized, as stated by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.

As part of his visit to Indonesia, the world’s largest majority-Muslim nation, Pope Francis will be the third pope to ever set foot in the country. He follows in the footsteps of St. Paul IV and St. John Paul II.

His journey will commence with departure from Rome’s Fiumicino International Airport in the early evening, with the flight passing over the Middle East and India before arriving at Jakarta Soekarno-Hatta International Airport. Jakarta serves as the capital of Indonesia, a nation where approximately 7.5% of the population identifies as Protestant and about 3% as Catholic.

Upon arrival, Pope Francis will attend a welcoming ceremony outside the Istana Merdeka Presidential Palace, after which he will engage in discussions with President Joko Widodo.

On Friday, the pope will travel roughly 2,916 miles to Papua New Guinea’s capital, Port Moresby. This will mark his second visit to the island nation, following St. John Paul II, who visited twice.

Papua New Guinea has a predominantly Christian population, with over 98% identifying as such. During his visit, Pope Francis plans to engage with local ministries dedicated to supporting street children and other vulnerable groups.

Additionally, he will meet with Prime Minister James Marape before presiding over Sunday Mass at Sir John Guise Stadium in Port Moresby.

The following Sunday, the pope’s travel itinerary includes a flight of 616 miles to Vanimo, located in the northwesternmost province of Papua New Guinea, before returning to the capital.

On September 9, the pope will journey approximately 1,601 miles to East Timor, where over 97% of the population is Catholic. Notably, East Timor’s most prominent archbishop, who became a cardinal in 2022, has a close relationship with Pope Francis.

In Dili, the capital of East Timor, the pope will visit children with disabilities, deliver a speech at the Presidential Palace, and preside over Mass at the Esplanade of Tasitolu over the course of two days.

Before concluding his trip and returning to Rome, Pope Francis will make a final stop in Singapore, located 1,640 miles away. On September 12, he will engage with President Tharman Shanmugaratnam and Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, before presiding over Mass in Singapore’s Sports Hub National Stadium, marking the third stadium Mass of this journey.

After this extensive trip, he will return to Italy, making the 6,000-mile journey back on a chartered Singapore Airlines flight, scheduled to land in Rome at 6:25 p.m. on September 13.