Why was the pope, 87 years old and in fragile health, so keen on this 12-day trip through four countries in Southeast Asia? According to Michel Chambon, a Catholic anthropologist and theologian, the stakes are as much religious as political. For this specialist in Catholicism in Asia, which he studies from the National University of Singapore, the city-state where the pontiff is due to visit from September 11 to 13, Francis is seeking to send a message both to his Church and to the world’s major powers, starting with China.
Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, East Timor, Singapore… This trip is the longest of the pontificate, both in terms of duration and kilometers traveled. How can we explain its importance in the eyes of the Holy See?
The situation has radically different aspects from one country to another, but we can nevertheless identify three major issues. The first objective is, in my opinion, to reaffirm the union of all Catholics in the world, by displaying a communion between the Pope, the universal Church and Asian Catholics: this is a way of responding to the discordant voices emanating from Francis’ opponents, particularly in the West.
The second goal of this trip is, in my opinion, to encourage local Catholics to roll up their sleeves on a number of issues, whether in interreligious dialogue, climate change or social justice. In Singapore, for example, the Catholic Church enjoys many advantages: it has good ties with the government, real financial ease, very pious and practicing faithful (about 4.5% of the population), etc. In short, a situation that does not encourage people to step out of their comfort zone to make themselves heard on issues dear to the Vatican, such as the abolition of the death penalty or migrants.
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Another example: in East Timor, Catholics represent 97% of the population. The Pope is therefore entitled to expect the local Church, which benefits from prestige and socio-economic leverage, to invest more in sustainable development and social justice. Faced with the economic difficulties of this developing country, more and more young people are doubting the Church.
Finally, the third major theme is obviously geopolitics. It is about, as has been said a lot since the beginning of the trip, sending a message to the great powers of the world on subjects such as the interreligious question, the rejection of war or the environmental struggle. But the Vatican also has its own interest, on the borders of theology and geostrategy: that of demonstrating the universal sovereignty that the papacy claims. China is following this trip very closely and remains attentive to the way in which Francis concretely illustrates this universal sovereignty.
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