Jonathan Y. Tan, the Archbishop Paul J. Hallinan Professor of Catholic Studies at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio, was interviewed by Voice of America (VOA) News' Adam Hancock on Pope Francis' upcoming papal visit to Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Timor-Leste, and Singapore from September 2-13, 2024. “Pope Francis is seeking to shine a spotlight on, and remind the rest of the world about, struggling communities in Papua New Guinea and Timor-Leste,” said Jonathan Tan, the Archbishop Paul J. Hallinan Professor of Catholic Studies at Case Western Reserve University. “They are coping with immense poverty, high illiteracy and unemployment rates, and the effects of climate change on island communities,” Tan told VOA. Less than 10% of Singapore’s population is Catholic which, according to Tan, presents the pope an opportunity to “encourage and empower minority Catholic communities” in the region.
Link:
Pope finding strength to carry message of Catholicism to Asia, Oceania, on longest trip (
VOA News, August 28, 2024)
