'Viva il Papa': Over 1,000 people turn up for arrival of Pope Francis in Singapore

Pope Francis has arrived in Singapore, and over 1,000 people travelled to Changi Airport to catch a glimpse of him on Wednesday (Sept 11) afternoon.

Many members of the public turned up wearing the yellow and white of the Vatican flag, waving both the Singapore and Vatican City flags.

As they awaited Pope Francis' arrival, the crowd sang Catholic hymns.

When the Pope appeared at Changi Jurassic Mile, he was met with cheers from the public as they waved their flags enthusiastically.

As he travelled along the pathway on a buggy, Pope Francis waved and smiled at the welcoming procession, who cheered "Viva il Papa (Long live the Pope)".

This continued even after the Pope left the area in a Hyundai Ioniq electric car.

Angeline Lim, 48, told AsiaOne that she had taken leave from work to travel to Changi Jurassic Mile and was hoping to touch the Pope’s hand at the event. 

Although she didn't manage to do that, she said that having catching a glimpse of the Pope — even for a second — was enough for her.

"We are so lucky to get his blessings here in Singapore," she said, adding that this was her only opportunity to see the Pope as she didn't manage to get tickets to the papal mass at National Stadium on Thursday.

There were also people who travelled long distances to meet the Pope.

Speaking with AsiaOne, 68-year-old Leo Valentine shared that he had travelled from western Australia to Singapore to do so.

"I applied for a ticket to go to the mass tomorrow, but I was not lucky and didn't get it," he said.

"The last time I saw the Pope was in 1986, when John Paul II visited Singapore."

Explaining his motivation for coming to see Pope Francis, Valentine simply said: "You don't get many chances to do it, that's for sure!"

Meanwhile, Jane Nain, 50, travelled from Sabah, Malaysia to see the Pope in Singapore. She also applied for tickets to the mass, but ultimately didn't succeed in getting them.

"Since we've already booked the flight ticket and hotel, we just came here to see the Pope because this is a once-in-a-lifetime experience," she said.

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

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

chingshijie@asiaone.com

khooyihang@asiaone.com