Pope Francis arrived at Changi Airport at 2:51pm, and was greeted by many well-wishers and volunteers, including Minister for Culture, Community and Youth Edwin Tong.

Tong later posted about the welcome on Instagram, saying he was "deeply honoured" to welcome the Pope.

He also wrote that Pope Francis would get to meet people from all walks of life in Singapore, and "experience Singapore’s unique brand of multiculturalism and diversity".

At the airport, Pope Francis was also greeted by four children dancing and welcoming him in four different languages:

@mothershipsg They also welcomed the Pope in four different languages. #pope #popefrancis #catholic #catholictiktok #sgnews #sgtiktok #singapore #fyp ♬ original sound - Mothership

From the airport, Pope Francis made his way to Jurassic Mile to greet his supporters in a golf cart.

Theme of Pope's visit "apt and timely" in religiously-diverse Singapore

Tong noted that the theme of the Pope's visit was "Unity and Hope", calling it apt and timely.

"Singapore is one of the world’s most religiously diverse countries. Our multicultural and inclusive community is central to Singapore’s identity, one that is a result of commitment and continuous efforts over many years," Tong added.

He also noted the Catholic Church's contributions to nation-building in Singapore, including charitable work and education.

Tong wrote:

"I hope the Pope’s visit will inspire our communities and youth to unite for a brighter future. Wishing His Holiness a fruitful and meaningful visit to Singapore!"

Pope Francis is visiting Singapore from Sep. 11 to Sep. 13, 2024.

Inter-religious harmony

Tong had previously shared his hopes that the Pope's visit would inspire Singapore's communities to continue fostering "trust and harmony" in its "multi-religious society". 

Tong said Catholics and many non-Catholics alike were eagerly looking forward to Pope Francis’ arrival.

"I think this is down to the fact that His Holiness’ commitment to the promotion of dialogue, unity, fraternity and social friendship is universal," said Tong.

Tong said he could see that Singapore and the Holy See share a deep common interest in finding different ways to promote inter-religious harmony in today’s increasingly diverse and interconnected world.

As part of his visit to Singapore, Pope Francis will also have an inter-religious dialogue with Singapore youths at Catholic Junior College on Sep. 13.

The dialogue, which will be held at Catholic Junior College, is expected to involve over 600 participants from more than 50 schools, as well as interfaith and religious organisations.

Top photo from MDDI.