Farewell ceremony from Singapore at Changi International Airport
Telegram to the President of the Republic of Singapore
Telegrams to Heads of State during the flight from Singapore to Rome
Farewell ceremony from Singapore at Changi International Airport
At the end of the interreligious meeting with young people at the Catholic Junior College, the Holy Father Francis transferred to Changi International Airport where, at 11.55 (05.55 in Rome), the farewell ceremony from Singapore took place.
Upon arrival, the Pope was received by the Minister of Culture, Community and Youth, His Excellency Mr. Edwin Tong. After greeting the local entourage and the Singaporean delegation, he boarded a Singapore Airlines A350 to return to Italy.
The aircraft carrying the Holy Father on the return flight from the Apostolic Journey to Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Timor-Leste and Singapore departed from Changi International Airport at 12.25 (06.25 in Rome), and landed at Leonardo da Vinci Airport in Rome-Fiumicino at 18.46.
Telegram to the President of the Republic of Singapore
Immediately after his departure from Singapore, the Holy Father Francis sent the following telegram to the President of the Republic, His Excellency Mr. Tharman Shanmugaratnam:
HIS EXCELLENCY THARMAN SHANMUGARATNAM
PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF SINGAPORE
SINGAPORE
AS I RETURN TO ROME AT THE CONCLUSION OF MY APOSTOLIC JOURNEY, I WISH TO EXPRESS A PROFOUND SENSE OF GRATITUDE TO YOUR EXCELLENCY, THE AUTHORITIES AND THE CITIZENS OF SINGAPORE FOR THE WARM RECEPTION AND GENEROUS HOSPITALITY OFFERED TO ME THROUGHOUT MY VISIT. ASSURING YOU OF MY PRAYERS FOR THE PEACE, UNITY AND WELLBEING OF THE NATION, I WILLINGLY INVOKE UPON ALL SINGAPOREANS AN ABUNDANCE OF DIVINE BLESSINGS.
FRANCISCUS
Telegrams to Heads of State during the flight from Singapore to Rome
During the flight from Singapore to Rome, as the aircraft carrying the Holy Father flew over Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Myanmar, India, Pakistan Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Turkey, Greece and Albania, before finally returning to Italy, Pope Francis sent the following telegrams to the respective Heads of State:
Overflight Malaysia
HIS MAJESTY SULTAN IBRAHIM ISMAIL IBNI ALMARHUM SULTAN ISKANDAR
YANG DI-PERTUAN AGONG XVII OF MALAYSIA
FLYING BACK TO ROME FOLLOWING MY APOSTOLIC JOURNEY TO SINGAPORE, I WILLINGLY RENEW MY PRAYERFUL GOOD WISHES TO YOUR MAJESTY AND THE PEOPLE OF MALAYSIA, AND I INVOKE UPON YOU ALL DIVINE BLESSINGS OF SOLIDARITY AND JOY.
FRANCISCUS
Overflight Thailand
HIS MAJESTY MAHA VAJIRALONGKORN RAMA X
KING OF THAILAND
BANGKOK
RETURNING TO ROME AFTER MY APOSTOLIC JOURNEY TO SINGAPORE, I EXTEND GOOD WISHES TO YOUR MAJESTY AND THE THAI PEOPLE. PRAYING THAT THE COUNTRY WILL BE GRANTED THE GIFTS OF PEACE AND WELLBEING, I INVOKE UPON YOU ALL ABUNDANT DIVINE BLESSINGS.
FRANCISCUS
Overflight India
HER EXCELLENCY DROUPADI MURMU
PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF INDIA
NEW DELHI
I OFFER MY GREETINGS TO YOUR EXCELLENCY AND YOUR FELLOW CITIZENS AS I FLY OVER INDIA AT THE CONCLUSION OF MY APOSTOLIC JOURNEY TO SINGAPORE. PRAYING THAT THE NATION WILL BE GENEROUSLY BLESSED, I WILLINGLY INVOKE abundant DIVINE GIFTS UPON ALL INDIANS.
FRANCISCUS
Overflight Pakistan
HIS EXCELLENCY ASIF ALI ZARDARI
PRESIDENT OF THE ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF PAKISTAN
ISLAMABAD
TRAVELLING THROUGH YOUR AIRSPACE AS I RETURN TO ROME AFTER MY APOSTOLIC JOURNEY TO SINGAPORE, I SEND CORDIAL WISHES TO YOUR EXCELLENCY AND THE PAKISTANI PEOPLE. PLEASE BE ASSURED OF MY PRAYERS THAT THE ALMIGHTY WILL BESTOW UPON THE NATION ABUNDANT BLESSINGS.
FRANCISCUS
Overflight Tajikistan
HIS EXCELLENCY EMOMALI RAHMON
PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF TAJIKISTAN
DUSHANBE
I EXTEND GOOD WISHES TO YOUR EXCELLENCY AND YOUR FELLOW CITIZENS AS I FLY ACROSS TAJIKISTAN AT THE END OF MY APOSTOLIC JOURNEY TO SINGAPORE. I OFFER MY PRAYERS THAT THE NATION WILL BE GRACED WITH WELLBEING AND PEACE, AND I WILLINGLY INVOKE DIVINE BLESSINGS UPON YOU ALL.
FRANCISCUS
Overflight Uzbekistan
HIS EXCELLENCY SHAVKAT MIRZIYOYEV
PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF UZBEKISTAN
TASHKENT
FLYING OVER YOUR COUNTRY ON MY RETURN TO ROME AFTER MY APOSTOLIC JOURNEY TO SINGAPORE, I OFFER CORDIAL GREETINGS TO YOUR EXCELLENCY AND THE PEOPLE OF UZBEKISTAN, AND I WILLINGLY INVOKE DIVINE BLESSINGS UPON THE NATION.
FRANCISCUS
Overflight Turkmenistan
HIS EXCELLENCY SERDAR BERDIMUHAMEDOV
PRESIDENT OF TURKMENISTAN
ASHGABAT
I SEND GREETINGS TO YOUR EXCELLENCY AND THE PEOPLE OF TURKMENISTAN AS I PASS OVER YOUR COUNTRY FOLLOWING MY APOSTOLIC JOURNEY TO SINGAPORE, PLEASE BE ASSURED OF MY PRAYERS THAT THE ALMIGHTY WILL BESTOW UPON THE NATION ABUNDANT BLESSINGS OF PEACE AND WELLBEING.
FRANCISCUS
Overflight Azerbaijan
HIS EXCELLENCY ILHAM ALIYEV
PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF AZERBAIJAN
BAKU
FOLLOWING MY APOSTOLIC JOURNEY TO SINGAPORE, I WILLINGLY SEND CORDIAL GOOD WISHES TO YOU AND ALL YOUR FELLOW CITIZENS AS I FLY OVER AZERBAIJAN, TOGETHER WITH THE ASSURANCE OF MY PRAYERS FOR THE UNITY AND CONCORD OF THE NATION.
FRANCISCUS
Overflight Georgia
HER EXCELLENCY SALOME ZOURABICHVILI
PRESIDENT OF GEORGIA
TBILISI
AS I RETURN TO ROME HAVING CONCLUDED MY APOSTOLIC JOURNEY TO SINGAPORE, I OFFER MY GREETINGS TO YOUR EXCELLENCY AND YOUR FELLOW CITIZENS. ASSURING YOU OF MY PRAYERS, I INVOKE UPON THE PEOPLE OF GEORGIA ALMIGHTY GOD’S BLESSINGS.
FRANCISCUS
Overflight Turkey
HIS EXCELLENCY RECEP TAYYIP ERDOĞAN
PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF TÜRKIYE
ANKARA
I ONCE AGAIN SEND CORDIAL GREETINGS TO YOUR EXCELLENCY AS I FLY OVER TÜRKIYE ON MY RETURN JOURNEY FROM SINGAPORE TO ROME, AND I PRAY THAT THE NATION WILL BE BLESSED WITH THE ALMIGHTY’S GIFTS OF PEACE AND WELLBEING.
FRANCISCUS
Overflight Greece
HER EXCELLENCY KATERINA SAKELLAROPOULOU
PRESIDENT OF THE HELLENIC REPUBLIC
ATHENS
I EXTEND WARM GREEETINGS TO YOUR EXCELLENCY AND YOUR FELLOW CITIZENS AS I FLY OVER GREECE EN ROUTE TO ROME AT THE CONCLUSION OF MY APOSTOLIC JOURNEY TO SINGAPORE, AND I INVOKE UPON YOU ALL AN ABUNDANCE OF ALMIGHTY GOD’S BLESSINGS.
FRANCISCUS
Overflight Albania
HIS EXCELLENCY BAJRAM BEGAJ
PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF ALBANIA
TIRANA
FLYING THROUGH ALBANIAN AIRSPACE AS I RETURN TO ROME AFTER MY APOSTOLIC JOURNEY TO SINGAPORE, I SEND GOOD WISHES TO YOUR EXCELLENCY AND TO ALL ALBANIANS, AND I WILLINGLY INVOKE UPON THE NATION THE ALMIGHTY’S BLESSINGS OF HARMONY AND JOY.
FRANCISCUS
Arrival – Italy
TO HIS EXCELLENCY
HON. SERGIO MATTARELLA
PRESIDENT OF THE ITALIAN REPUBLIC
QUIRINAL PALACE, ROME
AS I RETURN FROM MY APOSTOLIC JOURNEY IN ASIA AND OCEANIA, WHERE I HAD THE JOY OF MEETING CHRISTIAN COMMUNITIES ROOTED IN PROFOUND FAITH, FULL OF FERVOUR AND GENEROUS DEDICATION TO THE GOSPEL, APPRECIATING THE WITNESS OF RECONCILED PEOPLES ANCHORED IN STEADFAST SPIRITUAL TRADITIONS, I AM GRATEFUL TO GOD FOR THE ECCLESIAL AND INTERRELIGIOUS EXPERIENCE AND I CORDIALLY EXPRESS TO YOU, MR PRESIDENT, AND TO THE BELOVED ITALIAN NATION, MY AFFECTIONATE THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS TO OUR HEAVENLY FATHER FOR THE GOOD AND PROGRESS OF THE ENTIRE COUNTRY.
FRANCISCUS
