Pope Francis, Italian Ambassador to Singapore: “Multi-religious Country, Great Expectations in Our Community”

“There is great expectation especially within the Italian community. This is a visit that responds to an openness that Singapore has in general towards the Holy See” also given its “multi-ethnic, multicultural and multi-religious” society. This was stated in an interview with Adnkronos by the Italian ambassador to Singapore, Dante Brandi, in view of Pope Francis’ mission in the former British colony, the last stop of a long mission that from 2 to 13 September will also take the Pontiff to Indonesia, Papua New Guinea and Timor-Leste. A mission that had already been scheduled in 2020 but which the Covid-19 pandemic forced to postpone.

This visit, explains the ambassador referring to Singapore, is part of a context of multiculturalism and multi-religiosity, which are then central points of the foreign policy of the Asian country. “There is great excitement”, Brandi emphasizes, specifying that in Singapore currently live 5 thousand Italians who are registered with AIRE. “A beautiful community”, defines it the ambassador, with associations within it, one of which is of Catholic origin that “carries forward some charitable and socially helpful requests and activities”.

Brandi then highlights the work carried out by Catholic-inspired associations in the country, especially towards “Catholic migrants who have arrived in Singapore from neighboring countries and for whom these associations do their utmost to promote integration and improve their conditions because, even in a privileged context like Singapore, they are among the least fortunate”. The ambassador concludes by emphasizing how one of the main moments of the pontiff’s visit will be the mass at the stadium, for which there is already a mobilization of all the Catholic communities in the country “including the individual national ones”.