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Pope to visit Indonesia, PNG, East Timor, Singapore in September
- The 30,000km (18,600 miles) trip from September 2 to 13 is the longest for the Pope since he became head of the worldwide Catholic Church in 2013
- The visit has been on the cards for months, but the pontiff’s health issues had raised questions on whether it would go ahead
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Pope Francis will visit Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, East Timor and Singapore in September, the Vatican announced on Friday, an ambitious trip that could test the 87-year-old’s increasingly fragile health.
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Running from September 2 to 13, the trip covering around 30,000km (18,600 miles) in total is the longest for the Argentine since he became head of the worldwide Catholic Church in 2013.
“He will visit Jakarta from September 3 to 6 September, Port Moresby and Vanimo from September 6 to 9, Dili from September 9 to 11 and Singapore from September 11 to 13,” the Vatican said in a statement.
The visit has been on the cards for months, but the pontiff’s health issues had raised questions on whether it would go ahead.
Francis pulled out of a key Easter event at the last minute at the end of March, and has asked aides to read several of his speeches in recent weeks due to a bout of bronchitis.
The pontiff, who uses a wheelchair, has suffered increasing health problems in recent years, from knee pain to surgery for a hernia and on his colon.
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He is known for his work ethic – he never takes holidays – but has been forced to make concessions to his age and health, including cancelling a trip to UN climate talks in Dubai last year.
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