Pope Francis arrives in Singapore, will meet President Tharman, PM Wong and SM Lee

Pope Francis arrived in Singapore on Wednesday (Sept 11) afternoon, the final stop of his 12-day tour of the Asia-Pacific region.

At Changi Airport, the Pope was greeted by Minister for Culture, Community and Youth Edwin Tong, archbishop of Singapore and leader of the Roman Catholic Church Cardinal William Goh and former cabinet minister and labour chief Lim Boon Heng, among other guests.

There, four children performed to the song Singapore Town, and presented him with flowers.

The 87-year-old then headed to Changi Jurassic Mile, where he was welcomed by about 1,000 Catholics.

His arrival in Singapore marks the first visit by a pontiff since 1986, when the late Pope John Paul II made a five-hour stopover.

During his three-day state visit, Pope Francis will meet with President Tharman Shanmugaratnam, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong and and Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong, Reuters reported.

The pontiff will also give a speech at the National University of Singapore’s University Cultural Centre on Sept 12, before celebrating mass with some 50,000 Roman Catholics at the National Stadium. 

On Sept 13, the pope will visit the elderly and the sick at St Theresa's Home and take part in an inter-religious dialogue with young people at Catholic Junior College, before returning to Rome later that day.

For more on Pope Francis' state visit, visit our microsite.

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lim.kewei@asiaone.com