His Holiness The Pope of Rome

**S Landreth** · 02-09-2024, 06:08 AM

Pope Francis is embarking on his longest and most challenging trip to Asia yet. Here’s what to expect

If any evidence were needed to underscore that Pope Francis’ upcoming trip to Asia and Oceania is the longest, farthest and most challenging of his pontificate, it’s that he’s bringing along his secretaries to help him navigate the four-country program while keeping up with work back home.

Francis will clock 32,814 kilometers (20,390 miles) by air during his Sept. 2-13 visit to Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, East Timor and Singapore, far surpassing any of his previous 44 foreign trips and notching one of the longest papal trips ever, both in terms of days on the road and distances traveled.

That’s no small feat for a pope who turns 88 in December, uses a wheelchair, lost part of a lung to a respiratory infection as a young man and had to cancel his last foreign trip at the last minute (to Dubai in November to participate in the U.N. climate conference) on doctors’ orders.

But Francis is pushing ahead with this trip, originally planned for 2020 but postponed because of COVID-19. He’s bringing along his medical team of a doctor and two nurses and taking the usual health precautions on the ground. But in a novelty, he’s adding his personal secretaries into the traditional Vatican delegation of cardinals, bishops and security.

The long trip recalls the globetrotting travels of St. John Paul II, who visited all four destinations during his quarter-century pontificate, though East Timor was an occupied part of Indonesia at the time of his landmark 1989 trip.

By retracing John Paul’s steps, Francis is reinforcing the importance that Asia has for the Catholic Church, since it’s one of the few places where the church is growing in terms of baptized faithful and religious vocations. And he is highlighting that the complex region also embodies some of his core priorities as pope – an emphasis on interreligious and intercultural dialogue, care for the environment and insistence on the spiritual component of economic development.

Here is a look at the trip and some of the issues that are likely to come up, with the Vatican’s relations with China ever-present in the background in a region where Beijing wields enormous influence.

Indonesia

Francis loves gestures of interfaith fraternity and harmony, and there could be no better symbol of religious tolerance at the start of his trip than the underground “Tunnel of Friendship” linking Indonesia’s main Istiqlal mosque to the country’s Catholic cathedral.

Papua New Guinea

Francis was elected pope in 2013 largely on the strength of an extemporaneous speech he delivered to his fellow cardinals in which he said the Catholic Church needed to go to the “peripheries” to reach those who need God’s comfort the most. When Francis travels deep into the jungles of Papua New Guinea, he will be fulfilling one of the marching orders he set out for the future pope on the eve of his own election.

East Timor

When John Paul visited East Timor in 1989, he sought to console its overwhelmingly Catholic population who had suffered under Indonesia’s brutal and bloody occupation for 15 years already.

Singapore

Francis has used several of his foreign trips to send messages to China, be they direct telegrams of greetings when he flies through Chinese airspace or more indirect gestures of esteem, friendship and fraternity to the Chinese people when nearby.

**Looper** · 03-09-2024, 01:51 AM

^El Popo looks a tiny smidgen like John Malkovich in The Young Pope 2 - The New Pope, in that photo

Life imitating art

I had a minor miracle in my kitchen this week.

I did not turn water into wine but I turned honey water into beer

I had added some water to a honey bottle to get the dregs out and then left it for a week in the heat and when I went to open it it almost exploded with the beeriest beer smell you have ever smelled. It was holy honey beer.

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A true miracle in the mold of the wedding at Cana, so I imbibed a few drops of holy water.

**david44** · 03-09-2024, 01:55 AM

Originally Posted by Looper

^El Popo looks a tiny smidgen like John Malkovich in The Young Pope 2 - The New Pope, in that photo

Life imitating art

I had a minor miracle in my kitchen this week.

I did not turn water into wine but I turned honey water into beer

I had added some water to a honey bottle to get the dregs out and then left it for a week in the heat and when I went to open it it almost exploded with the beeriest beer smell you have ever smelled. It was holy honey beer.

A true miracle in the mold of the wedding at Cana, so I imbibed a few drops of holy water.

Please don't share use of container

**Looper** · 03-09-2024, 01:59 AM

^That could cause severe injury...

Not to mention a nasty yeast infection!

**Looper** · 02-12-2024, 01:23 AM

Conclave

A Papal nail-biter involving the scheming and conniving in the election of a new Pope with Ralph Fiennes doing a fine job as the dean of the college of cardinals.

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High entertainment all the way

...although I am not 100% sure about the ending!

7.8/10

**S Landreth** · 02-12-2024, 06:57 AM

The ending made it worth watching

**Looper** · 21-04-2025, 03:12 PM

Pope Francis dies aged 88, Vatican says

Pope Francis has died at the age of 88, the Vatican has announced.
Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio was elected to lead the Catholic Church in March 2013 after Pope Benedict XVI stood down.

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Pope Francis dies aged 88, Vatican says - BBC News

Amazing that the Pope died on Easter Monday of all days

**harrybarracuda** · 21-04-2025, 03:15 PM

I would cheer and have a party but they'll only elect another cancerous kiddie fiddling parasite.

Amazing that the Pope died on Easter Monday of all days

Any day is good.

**taxexile** · 21-04-2025, 03:19 PM

its easter... give him 3 days .......

**HuangLao** · 21-04-2025, 05:52 PM

Fuck the Roman Church.
Evil.

**david44** · 21-04-2025, 06:47 PM

Time to disband

**Mandaloopy** · 21-04-2025, 08:24 PM

Met Vance. Lost the will to live. Imagine Vance being one of the last people you see?!

**Looper** · 21-04-2025, 09:20 PM

Originally Posted by Mandaloopy

Met Vance

I thought Vance will be kicking himself after Francis kicked it while he was looking for a Papal audience. But seems like he just squeaked in at the dying breath.

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JD Vance pays tribute to late Pope, one day after meeting him

He converted to Catholicism in 2019. I did not know that. I thought he was a life-long protestant.

Originally Posted by Mandaloopy

Imagine Vance being one of the last people you see?!

He does have something of the Antichrist about him in his Wikipedia photo

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**Troy** · 21-04-2025, 09:31 PM

Saw the Pope on TV yesterday and was berated by friends for saying he looked like he was knocking on death's door. (I may have been a little less subtle)

Possibly stood a better chance if he'd died on Friday...

**Looper** · 21-04-2025, 10:12 PM

^His Late Holiness was indeed not dancing the Macarena in those last few news reels

Reuters have compiled a suggested short list of hot tips in the running for the gladiatorial conclave and Katie has got a dog in the race at number 6...

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So shop around for the best odds and get your money down and get your bets in to win or each way

1 Jean-Marc Aveline, archbishop of Marseille, French, aged 66.

2 Cardinal Peter Erdo, Hungarian, aged 72

3 Cardinal Mario Grech, secretary general of the Synod of Bishops, Maltese, aged 68.

4 Cardinal Juan Jose Omella, archbishop of Barcelona, Spanish, aged 79.

5 Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Italian, Vatican diplomat, aged 70.

6 Cardinal Luis Antonio Gokim Tagle, Filipino, aged 67.

7 Cardinal Joseph Tobin, archbishop of Newark, N.J., American, aged 72.

8 Cardinal Peter Kodwo Appiah Turkson, Ghanaian, Vatican official, aged 76.

9 Matteo Maria Zuppi, Italian, archbishop of Bologna, aged 69.

reuters.com

**Troy** · 21-04-2025, 10:32 PM

BLD for Pope!!!

**DrWilly** · 21-04-2025, 10:57 PM

One less peado in the world.

**harrybarracuda** · 22-04-2025, 12:50 AM

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**Looper** · 22-04-2025, 01:41 AM

^I like it

Quite a good article here from the BBC on the selection process

How the next Pope is chosen - BBC News

As well the successful finalist, I am also curious about the name that will be chosen. These are the most popular names since Simon 'The Rock' Peter (who will be played by Dwayne Johnson in the next Hollywood Biblical Epic)

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I fancy another Pope Urban, in memory of Pope Urban II who started the First Crusade that ultimately resulted in the recapture of Jerusalem from the evil and foul smelling Saracen hordes in 1099

Pope Urban II actually died 2 weeks after Jerusalem was recaptured which was too soon for the news to have reached him in Rome from the Holy Lands.

I am reading this fascinating book at the moment that details all of this juicy history.

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**Looper** · 24-04-2025, 12:54 AM

Mourners visit Pope Francis lying in state at St Peter's Basilica

Mourners are paying their respects to Pope Francis, whose body was moved from his Vatican residence to St Peter's Basilica before his funeral on Saturday.

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The Pope's open coffin was carried on Wednesday morning in a solemn procession through St Peter's Square where as many as 20,000 pilgrims had gathered, Vatican media said.

As the coffin crossed the square, bells tolled and crowds broke into applause - a traditional Italian sign of respect.

The Pope died on Monday aged 88 following a stroke and a battle with double pneumonia, which led to him spending five weeks in hospital earlier this year. The first Latin American leader of the Catholic Church, he had held the role for 12 years.

On Wednesday, red-robed cardinals and white-clad priests walked the Pope's coffin from his personal residence at the Casa Santa Marta guesthouse to the St Peter's Basilica. The procession lasted a little under 40 minutes.

Mourners visit Pope Francis lying in state at St Peter'''s Basilica

**Looper** · 24-04-2025, 01:09 AM

World leaders from Trump to Zelensky to attend Pope's funeral

Pope Francis's funeral will take place on Saturday in St Peter's Square, the Vatican has confirmed, with hundreds of thousands expected to attend.

The head of the Catholic Church died of a stroke on Monday, aged 88, less than 24 hours after leading an Easter address. He had been in poor health after recently battling double pneumonia.

A host of world leaders and royals - including Sir Keir Starmer, Donald Trump, the Prince of Wales, and President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva of Brazil, home to the biggest Catholic population in the world - have confirmed their attendance.

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Thousands of mourners have already flocked to Vatican City, carrying flowers, crosses and candles and reciting prayers.

World leaders from Trump to Zelensky to attend Pope'''s funeral

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**katie23** · 25-04-2025, 11:31 AM

If Cardinal Luis Tagle will be the next pope, I (and many other Filipinos, even other Catholic Asians) will be happy.

However, if a candidate from Africa gets the papacy, I'll be happy too.

Btw, Tagle (the surname) is pronounced as tag'-leh, not ta-gel (like eagle or table). Some western news outlets have been pronouncing his name as ta-gel, similar to table, eagle, etc.

In Filipino languages, we don't have silent letters (similar to Spanish).

The news outlets say that Cardinal Tagle is from Cavite province. So he's not only from my country, he's from my region too. Yay!

This Aus network pronounced his surname
correctly. It's a good piece, I think.

**Looper** · 26-04-2025, 03:09 PM

^Interesting piece, Katie

Live stream of Pope Francis Funeral Mass which started at 10AM in Rome

**39TG** · 26-04-2025, 03:20 PM

Originally Posted by DrWilly

One less peado in the world.

I don't think every Catholic priest is bent that way. I wasn't aware there were meritorious allegations against the late Pope. If there weren't, your comment is irresponsible.

**taxexile** · 26-04-2025, 03:43 PM

Originally Posted by DrWilly

One less peado in the world.

every accusation a confession eh?

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