Pope Francis is set to embark on one of the most ambitious international trips of his papacy, when he travels to Southeast Asia and Oceania in September, visiting four countries in just 12 days.
The Pope will travel 32,000 kilometres across seven flights, visiting Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, East Timor and Singapore.
The Holy Father will depart from Rome on September 2, arriving in Jakarta, Indonesia on September 3 where he will rest for a day.
On Wednesday, September 4, the Pope will be welcomed by the country’s president, Joko Widodo and meet with civil authorities. He will then have a private meeting with members of the Society of Jesus (Jesuits) before traveling to the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption, where he will meet with bishops, priests, deacons, consecrated persons, seminarians and catechists.
On Thursday, September 5, the Pope will have an interreligious meeting at the Istiqlal Mosque, the largest mosque in Southeast Asia. Indonesia has the largest Muslim population in the world. In the afternoon, he will celebrate Mass at the Gelora Bung Karno Stadium, which can hold 80,000 people.
On Friday, September 6, he will depart Jakarta and arrive in Port Moresby, before resting for the night.
On Saturday, September 7, he will visit the Governor General of Papua New Guinea and meet with civil authorities. He will then visit with children receiving assistance from various street ministry programs in the country, before heading to Shrine of Mary Help of Christians, where he will meet with clergy, seminarians and catechists from across Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands.
On Sunday, September 8, he will visit with the Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea before celebrating Mass at the Sir John Guise Stadium. He will then leave Port Moresby to head to Vanimo, in the country’s rural north. There, he will meet with missionaries and the faithful from the Diocese of Vanimo, before returning to Port Moresby that evening.
On Monday, September 9, he will meet with young people from Port Moresby at the Sir John Guise Stadium, before departing Port Moresby for Dili, East Timor. In East Timor, he will be welcomed at the Presidential Palace where he will meet with the President of East Timor. He will also meet with civil authorities that evening.
On Tuesday, September 10, he will visit a school for children with disabilities before meeting with clergy, seminarians and catechists at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, Dili. He will then have a private meeting with members of the Society of Jesus, before celebrating Holy Mass in the evening at the Esplanade of Taci Tolu.
On Wednesday, September 11, he will meet with the young people of East Timor, before departing Dili to travel to Singapore. In Singapore, he will have a private meeting with members of the Society of Jesus.
On Thursday, September 12, he will meet with the President, Prime Minister and other civil leaders of Singapore. He will then celebrate Holy Mass in the evening at the Singapore Sports Hub National Stadium.
On Friday, September 13, he will cap off his trip with a visit to the elderly and sick, before attending an interreligious meeting with young people. He will depart the country just before midday and arrive back in Rome that evening.
The full schedule of Pope Francis trip can be viewed here.