Photos

Prime Minister and Minister for Finance Lawrence Wong welcomed His Holiness Pope Francis to Singapore. This is the first papal visit in Singapore and the first by a sitting Pope in nearly 40 years.

Singapore and the Vatican enjoy good people-to-people ties. Our history of engagement dates back to the early 1800s, when the first Catholic Mass was celebrated here. Since then Catholic institutions have contributed much to our society - in education, healthcare and across many social areas. We are grateful for their many contributions in our multi-racial and multi-religious society.

PM and Pope Francis had a good discussion on the importance of interfaith dialogue and religious harmony. These are common areas of interest between Singapore and the Vatican. They look forward to continued engagements and cooperation in areas of mutual interests.

(MDDI Photo by Lim Sin Thai)