Pope Francis embarked on an ambitious 12-day tour of Southeast Asia on Monday, departing from Rome for Jakarta, Indonesia. The 87-year-old leader of the global Catholic Church will visit four countries during this journey, which is the longest of his papacy.
The flight carrying the pope and his entourage departed from Fiumicino airport for an overnight journey of over 13 hours to the Indonesian capital. Francis will remain in Indonesia until Friday, before moving on to Papua New Guinea, East Timor, and Singapore. He is expected to return to Rome on September 13th.
Throughout his 11-year papacy, Pope Francis has been a vocal advocate for environmental protection. During this Southeast Asia tour, he is expected to reiterate his call for global action on climate change. Each of the countries on his itinerary faces significant threats from the warming global climate, including rising sea levels and increasingly severe and unpredictable heat waves and typhoons.
The pope’s journey will cover nearly 33,000 kilometers (20,500 miles) and will involve more than 40 events. Despite his advancing age and health concerns, Francis remains committed to his role as a global leader. He regularly utilizes a wheelchair due to knee and back pain and has experienced bouts of ill health. Notably, he was in a wheelchair as he boarded the flight on Monday, requiring a mobile lift to access the aircraft.
The Vatican has assured the public that no unusual medical precautions are being taken for the pope on this trip. Matteo Bruni, director of the Vatican press office, stated that they are employing the same standard precautions as always.
