Pope Francis, the spiritual leader of the world’s one billion Catholics, arrived in Indonesia on 3 September. He then travelled to Papua New Guinea, Timor-Leste and Singapore, before returning to Rome on the evening of 13 September.
In each place, the Pope met government dignitaries, religious and clerical persons, and celebrated masses attended by tens of thousands of people. He also visited a place of care for a particular group in each nation. International news outlets reported the Pontiff’s messages of peace, encouragement and challenge and the numerous photos show the joy and positive engagement of countless people.