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At the age of 88, Pope Francis is embarking on his 45th international trip, the longest of his pontificate, spending 12 days outside Italy. In all, 44 hours of flights by plane and helicopter for an itinerary of almost 20,000 miles await him: An impressive physical challenge for anyone, and especially for the Pontiff, whose mobility is limited, forcing him to use a wheelchair or cane.
The countries on the itinerary are located in a large maritime area, that of the Sunda archipelago. This immense territory stretches for thousands of kilometers, from the island city of Singapore at the tip of the Malay Peninsula to the myriad Sunda Islands, the world's largest archipelago, which includes Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, and East Timor.
In this region, there are major disparities between rich countries -- such as Singapore -- and poor countries -- such as Timor and Papua New Guinea -- as well as within the same country.
The issues also differ greatly between densely populated territories -- such as Singapore or Java -- and others where nature is sometimes still untouched, as on the island of Papua. The question of economic development, as well as the role of technology, which is omnipresent in the very urban city-state of Singapore, are among the themes the Pontiff is expected to address.
Spiritual diversity is just as great: The Pope will visit the world's largest Muslim country, Indonesia, and meet the population with the highest proportion of Catholics in the world after the Vatican, that of East Timor.
The leading religious group in Papua New Guinea is Protestantism, and Buddhism in Singapore. And traditional religions such as animism and Confucianism, due to the large Chinese diaspora, play an important role in the region. Inter-religious dialogue will therefore be one of the main themes of the trip, with two meetings with representatives of other religions in Indonesia and Singapore.
For the first time, the Argentine Pope will set foot in Oceania with a visit to Papua New Guinea. He is expected to meet representatives of the small nations of the world's largest ocean. His words are expected on issues that are vital to these countries, such as the disastrous consequences of climatic changes on their particularly rich, but also fragile, ecosystems.
The stopover in East Timor is also important: Unlike John Paul II's visit in 1989, the country Francis will be visiting has been free of Indonesian occupation since 2002. The trip will be an opportunity to remember the country's bloody history, but also to look to the future as the country undergoes a new economic crisis.
Lastly, the Pope, who believes that the Church has much to learn from the East, will be keen to encourage local Catholics and missionaries to live their faith more intensely.
