Pope Francis Decided to “Show of Strength”: 87-Year-Old to Cover 33,000 Km
Pope Francis will begin an impressive 12-day journey for his age next week. The head of the Catholic Church will visit several Asian countries and take part in more than 40 events.
On Monday, September 2, Francis will embark on a 12-day journey to four countries in Southeast Asia. Visiting Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, East Timor and Singapore, he is expected to cover some 33,000 km.
Pope Francis to go on record-breaking journey
The head of the Catholic Church has never traveled this far. It is also impressive that Francis is 87 years old, and at the beginning of this year he was struggling with serious health problems.
The Reuters agency, which describes the trip, emphasizes that Francis’ main goal will be to convince local politicians to become more involved in the fight against climate change. In the region he will visit, rising sea levels, heat and typhoons are serious problems.
Pope Francis has pushed hard for the 2015 Paris climate agreement, and his aides say he wants to continue his calls to confront the dangers of a rapidly warming world, especially to support the most vulnerable.
“Show of strength” by 87-year-old Franciszek
During the trip, the pope’s aides have planned as many as 40 events in which the holy father will participate. Italian scientist and historian Massimo Faggioli has no doubt that this is a kind of “show of force” on Francis’ part.
Faggioli noted that John Paul II made his last foreign visit at the age of 84, while Benedict XVI abdicated at the age of 85. He also calculated that Francis’ current trip will be his 45th since becoming pope in 2013.
The Pope’s health problems
Francis underwent a CT scan in a Rome hospital in March. He admitted he had bronchitis, but he still planned to hold meetings, during which he would lead the service and hear confessions.
Since November 2023, when he contracted a lung infection, he suffered from recurrent respiratory illnesses. His condition was so severe that he had to cancel audiences from autumn to spring and did not appear at planned events. He also moved in a wheelchair and had trouble speaking. The texts were read for him by his colleagues.
