Pope Francis’ first visit to Singapore has been eight years in the making

Janet Ang, Singapore’s non-resident ambassador to the Vatican, said: “We told the Pope when he comes to our region, we would very much like to receive him.” - Photo: ST

SINGAPORE: The upcoming visit by Pope Francis to Singapore is one that has been eight years in the making.

The quest to bring the head of the Catholic Church and spiritual leader of over 1.3 billion Catholics worldwide started in May 2016, when former president Tony Tan invited the Pope to visit Singapore during his state visit to the Vatican.