Singapore, Sep 12 (PTI) Pope Francis on Thursday called on Singapore to protect the dignity of migrant workers who are working here in the labour-intensive industries and rebuilding the city-state into a world class financial hub.
“These workers contribute a great deal to society and should be guaranteed a fair wage,” he said at the University Cultural Centre, according to the translation of his speech provided by the Vatican which was cited by the Channel News Asia.
Pope Francis, 87, arrived in Singapore on Wednesday for the last leg of his four-nation visit to the Asia-Pacific.
His Asia tour, which started on September 2, also took him to Papua New Guinea, Indonesia and Timor-Leste and is his longest trip yet.
The Pope commended Singapore’s policies to support the most vulnerable, adding that he hopes special attention will be paid to the poor and the elderly.
Speaking at a state address, he noted that the labour of the poor and elderly members of society has laid the foundations for the country that it is today.
Separately, Singapore celebrated the first visit by a pontiff in 38 years when the late Pope John Paul II made a five-hour stopover in the country.
Around 50,000 people, led by Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, attended the first papal mass in Singapore since 1986 at the National Stadium on Thursday amidst tight security.
Pope Francis, on his second day of his visit to the multi-ethnic city state, was at the stadium at 4.30 pm and rode around in a white buggy, blessing children and babies, and giving out rosaries to those he met.
A sea of people donning yellow and white — the colours of the Vatican flag — waved at him and cheered as he passed by, with some holding up signs welcoming the pontiff and sending their wishes.
After his arrival on Wednesday, the pontiff delivered the homily at the mass that was attended by Minister for Culture, Community and Youth Edwin Tong and Minister for Home Affairs and Law K Shanmugam.
Singapore’s National Stadium was abuzz with activity as early as 11 am, six hours before the papal mass was to start, according to a Channel News Asia report.
“It was a very rainy afternoon, and it was showering but everybody stayed on. The enthusiasm and passion were exhilarating,” recalled Beverly Branson, a teacher, who then was a Primary 6 pupil when the late Pope John Paul II came to Singapore in 1986.
Former Cabinet minister George Yeo, who was also at the National Stadium on Thursday, said a Pope’s visit to Singapore is rare because it is such a small country.
Yeo, who was also at the mass in 1986, said that Singapore has become more prominent in the scheme of things since then, with a Cardinal appointed in 2022.
“People are genuinely happy here today. There are so many volunteers, and they are cheerful. The moment we arrive at a stadium, they are going out of their way to assist everyone,” the Channel quoted Yeo as saying.
Yeo, who was previously on the Vatican’s Council for the Economy, added that this papal visit is a high point not just for the Catholic Church but for non-Christians and those of other faiths, such as Buddhists and Muslims, who have a “warm feeling” towards the visit.
According to local media reports, police dogs were on duty within the stadium vicinity as part of security as the Pope’s visit to Indonesia was reported to have had threats.
The police have been working closely with various agencies and stakeholders, such as the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Singapore, to ensure the safety and security of this event, said Superintendent Clarinda Wong, head of operations for the Bedok Police Division.
More than 2,000 people are involved in the mass — including 1,600 choir members, 390 Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion, 656 wardens, 300 altar servers, 128 medics and nurses, and 260 crowd control personnel. PTI GS GSP GSP
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