Singapore leaders pay tribute to Pope Francis following his death at 88
Pope Francis leading the papal mass at the National Stadium during his visit to Singapore in September 2024. ST PHOTO: JASON QUAH
SINGAPORE - Singapore's political leaders have paid warm tributes to Pope Francis, who died on April 21 at the age of 88.
The Argentine had paid a three-day visit to the Republic in September 2024, the first by a pontiff since the late Pope John Paul II's five-hour stopover in 1986.
In a Facebook post, Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan hailed Pope Francis as 'a shining beacon of hope' who had 'left indelible memories for everyone who has met him or listened to him over the years'.
He added: '(I) recall his words when I first met him in December 2019 – 'Pray for me'. Today, we all pray for him.'
Minister for Culture, Community and Youth Edwin Tong, in a Facebook post titled Farewell Papa Francesco, said: 'The world has lost a true beacon of hope, kindness, compassion and unity.'
In his post, he said the news of Pope Francis' death, after a period of critical illness which saw the Pope hospitalised for five weeks, had come as a shock. Mr Tong said he had assumed the pontiff, who had begun to resume his duties slowly, including greeting the faithful at St Peter's Square on Easter Sunday, had been on the mend.
He also revealed a bit about his interactions with the Pope, revealing that the Argentine had 'a wry sense of humour' and 'a personable nature'.
He noted that during Pope Francis' visit to Singapore in 2024 , 'in the quiet moments, whilst waiting for things to happen, he would joke with me (sometimes the joke was on me!)'.
'He was totally disarming, and made me feel at ease in his presence, and by doing so, he showed that whilst he was the Pope, he was still also very much one of us,' he added.
More to come.
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