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[Baciamano]
I was honoured to have been granted a 'Baciamano' (a brief Audience) with His Holiness Pope Francis this morning at the Vatican City. Pope Francis was warm, humble, and personable. He had a kind word or gesture for everyone, and made it a point to warmly welcome everyone in the Singapore delegation.
Pope Francis and I chatted briefly about social cohesion, multi religiosity and harmony, issues in which we have a deep mutual interest. His Holiness' teachings on universal love, reconciliation, peace and solidarity, are profoundly explored in his third Encyclical, Fratelli Tutti.
Fratelli Tutti aims to promote a universal aspiration toward fraternity and social friendship, concluding that the time has come to “dream, then, as a single human family”.
These teachings resonate strongly with a multicultural and religiously diverse Singapore. His unwavering outreach and a strong heart for the last, the lost and the least in each community are valuable learning points for our own society. These teachings transcend the Catholic faith, and indeed, any one single faith alone; they have a true universal, timeless relevance.
Our Singapore delegation, including Non Resident Ambassador Janet Ang, also attended the General Papal Audience, the first of the new year. We will continue our meetings at the Vatican as we work on fostering closer ties with the Holy See.
