Pope Francis' visit to Southeast Asia
Pope Francis, the leader of the world's Catholics, will travel to Southeast Asia next week.
Pope Francis, the leader of the world's Catholics, is set to travel to four island nations in Southeast Asia on Monday, September 2, with the aim of encouraging global action on climate change.
Pope Francis' upcoming trip is his longest yet. Despite health problems with his lungs and knees, he is scheduled to travel 33,000 kilometers over 12 days from September 2 to 13 to visit Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, East Timor and Singapore.
The pope is scheduled to attend more than 40 events during the trip. His aides said of the pope's trip: "The pope wants to continue his calls to confront the dangers of rapid global warming, especially to protect the most vulnerable. In the countries he is visiting, these dangers include rising sea levels, heat waves, and severe and unpredictable storms."
It is worth noting that this trip is the 45th foreign trip of the Pope since his election to the papacy in 2013. The tour begins in Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia, which has seen catastrophic floods in recent years, causing the city to slowly sink, prompting the government to consider building a new capital worth $32 billion. Italian scholar Massimo Faggioli, while noting that the trip is a show of strength for Pope Francis, said: "No Pope has traveled abroad at such an age. Francis' predecessor, Benedict XVI, resigned at the age of 85. John Paul II, who suffered from Parkinson's disease, also made his last trip abroad at the age of 84. Now, Pope Francis, 87, is planning his 45th foreign trip."
