Cardinal hopes Pope’s visit will ‘spur a renewal’

Apr 26, 2024

SINGAPORE: Following the announcement of Pope Francis’ upcoming apostolic journey to the Asia Pacific region, Cardinal William Goh, the Archbishop of Singapore, has expressed his hope that the Holy Father’s visit from September 11-13 will invigorate all Catholics in Singapore with renewed fervour.

In a media release, Cardinal William urged the Catholic community in Singapore to come together and pray for the Pope’s visit. “Let us, as a community, pray for the continued health and safety of the Holy Father and ask the Lord to grant us a truly meaningful and grace-filled visit,” he stated. This visit marks a decade since Cardinal William announced his 10-year pastoral plan for the Catholic Church in Singapore. At a 2014 assembly of around 750 parish ministry representatives, the cardinal highlighted that despite the appearance of vibrancy due to numerous Masses, baptisms, and confirmations, the Church faces challenges such as the declining religious practice among locals.

“Half of the Catholics attend church. The Church is full thanks to the migrants,” he commented. To spiritually prepare the faithful for “meeting Jesus through Pope Francis’ pastoral visit,” the Archdiocese of Singapore recently launched a dedicated website. This platform offers prayers, online resources, and updates about the Pope’s impending visit in September. The website also introduces the archdiocese’s chosen theme of Unity, Hope, and the Cross to commemorate the 2024 papal trip.

Singapore’s Catholic population, currently around 395,000, comprises individuals from diverse ethnic and cultural backgrounds. Masses are primarily conducted in English, but services in Mandarin, Tamil, and other Southeast Asian or European languages cater to both local and expatriate communities.

Although the Catholic Church in Singapore is relatively young and diverse, and is growing amidst a politically peaceful environment with mandated religious tolerance, Cardinal William hopes that Pope Francis’ visit will inspire a renewal and strengthening of faith, conversion of heart, and a missionary spirit within the Catholic communities in Singapore.

A key event of the Pope’s visit will be the papal Mass scheduled for Sept 12. The only previous papal visit to Singapore occurred in 1986 when Pope John Paul II made a five-hour stopover and celebrated Mass with thousands at the national stadium.