On his first day in the country, the Holy Father made a point of meeting his brothers in vocation.
Newsroom (12/09/2024 19:10, Gaudium Press) Pope Francis’ first day in Singapore, September 11, was marked by a single appointment on his agenda: to visit his brothers in vocation at the St. Francis Xavier Retreat House, the place that will be the Pope’s residence on this last leg of the trip.
It has a very intimate and familiar atmosphere.
The Pontiff was welcomed by 25 Jesuits of different ages, most of whom were residents of Singapore, with some from other regions, such as Malaysia. Several of the religious were young, including one who had just been ordained. There were also older and even sick people.
Father Antonio Spadaro, undersecretary of the Dicastery for Culture and Education and a member of the papal entourage, took part in the meeting and commented that the meeting lasted an hour “and, as always, it was very cordial and fraternal, with Jesuits working in frontier places… Then the Pope wanted to add other things. It seemed that he didn’t want to detach himself from this very intimate and familiar atmosphere”.
The challenges facing the Church and the importance of prayer
You can see from the photographs released by the undersecretary himself that the Holy Father was smiling and relaxed. According to Spadaro, Francis left a space open for questions from those present, which dealt with a variety of topics, starting with the current challenges facing the local Church.
“The Pope made it clear that the Faith must enter into human challenges and emphasized the importance of Asia today as a key continent. Thus, Jesuits are called to live in this place which presents very particular challenges,” explained Father Spadaro.
Francis also emphasized the importance of prayer, stressing that we must “always face the challenges posed by society with a spirit of prayer”. He also presented the figure of Father Pedro Arrupe, a Jesuit of Spanish origin, superior general of the Society from 1965 to 1983, proclaimed Servant of God, and whose cause for beatification is underway, stating that he is very close to him. He also recalled the figure of Matteo Ricci, the great Jesuit apostle of China and a point of reference for the Jesuits in this place.
Religious vocations in Singapore
Speaking about vocations, the Pope said that there are young people who want to enter religious life, but who are sometimes frightened by formation. He then recommended not keeping the level of demand low, stressing the importance of being formed in a way that is high and appropriate for the challenges of our time.
At the end of the meeting, one of the Jesuits present handed the Pope two large envelopes containing letters with prayer intentions written by various members of the faithful. In a silent and intense gesture, the Pontiff placed his hands on the envelopes and prayed for the intentions of those who had written them. (EPC)
Compiled by Dominic Joseph
