Pope Francis Trips

Pope Francis will embark on an 11-day trip on Sept. 2, 2024. that will bring him to Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Timor-Leste (East Timor), and Singapore. During this longest journey of his pontificate so far — which includes numerous events in the largest majority-Muslim country on earth, Indonesia — the pope is expected to emphasize themes of interreligious dialogue, solidarity, and peace.

The Latest

The Catholic Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption in Jakarta, Indonesia.

What it’s like to be a Catholic in the world’s largest Muslim country

Sep 3, 2024

By Courtney Mares

Pope Francis’ visit to Indonesia spotlights the unique experience of the country’s 8.3 million Catholics who navigate daily life in... Read more

Speaking to pilgrims gathered in St. Peter’s Square for the Sunday Angelus prayer on Sept. 1, 2024, the pope called for peace in the Holy Land, urging the release of the remaining hostages and humanitarian aid for the polio outbreak in Gaza. The pope also expressed his closeness to the people of Burkina Faso after hundreds of people were killed in a terrorist attack there on Aug. 24. Afterward the pope asked for prayers for his apostolic journey beginning tomorrow to Oceania and Southeast Asia.

Pope Francis urges release of hostages, aid for polio outbreak in Gaza

Sep 1, 2024

By Courtney Mares

The pope appealed for peace in Gaza and for aid to continue and also expressed his closeness to the people... Read more

St. John Paul II (1920-2005).

Francis won’t be the first pope to visit Papua New Guinea: a look at John Paul II’s trips

Sep 1, 2024

By Francesca Pollio Fenton

Pope John Paul II visited Papua New Guinea for the first time in May 1984 and paid tribute to the... Read more

The Monastery of Gedono receives many guests, both Catholic and Muslim. The sisters have a guesthouse for priests, religious, and laypeople who come for a few days or a week of solitude and prayer. As many as 200 or 300 people attend Sunday Mass at the monastery.

In Muslim Indonesia, a Catholic monastery has become part of the community

Sep 1, 2024

By Hannah Brockhaus

Sister Martha Driscoll, the founding superior of a monastery in Java, shares what life is like for Catholics in the... Read more

Graha Maria Annai Velangkanni Church, an Indian-Mughal style Catholic church in Medan, Indonesia.

20,000 miles over the sea: Here’s where Pope Francis is headed in Southeast Asia and Oceania

Aug 30, 2024

By Jonah McKeown

Pope Francis will embark on an 11-day trip on Sept. 2 that will bring him to Indonesia, Papua New Guinea,... Read more

Archbishop Cardinal Ignatius Suharyo Hardjoatmodjo leads a Christmas Mass at Jakarta Cathedral in Jakarta on Dec. 25, 2023.

Cardinal Suharyo decries how corruption in Indonesia is hurting the poor

Aug 28, 2024

By Courtney Mares

The cardinal emphasized that despite the country’s abundant natural resources, widespread corruption continues to undermine its potential. Read more

The Tuan Ma statue is paraded around Larantuka City during the Semana Santa Holy Week celebrations on Flores Island.

3 Marian holy sites in the Muslim nation of Indonesia

Aug 11, 2024

By Kristina Millare

Records dating back to the 16th century indicate that the first Catholic traditions in Indonesia were established following the first... Read more

Queen Mathilde of Belgium meets with Pope Francis at the Vatican’s Apostolic Palace with her husband, King Philippe of the Belgians, on Sept. 14, 2023.

From castles to cathedrals: Pope Francis’ schedule for Luxembourg and Belgium trip

Jul 21, 2024

By Hannah Brockhaus

The pope will greet royal leaders, prime ministers, professors and students, and Catholics in some of the countries’ historic palaces,... Read more

Pope Francis travels between the conference center and Unità d’Italia Square in Trieste, Italy, with a golf cart during his pastoral visit to the northern Italian city on July 7, 2024. In Trieste, the pope addressed around 1,200 participants in a Catholic conference on democracy for the annual Social Week of Catholics.

Gun found in abandoned suitcase before papal visit to Trieste, Italy

Jul 12, 2024

By Almudena Martínez-Bordiú

According to Italian press, less than 24 hours after the pope’s arrival, the police discovered a Czech-made semiautomatic pistol inside... Read more

The Tuan Ma statue is paraded around Larantuka City during the Semana Santa Holy Week celebrations on Indonesia’s Flores island.

Indonesian island set to become an international Catholic pilgrim destination

Jun 30, 2024

By Kristina Millare

The government of Indonesia plans to boost religious tourism on Flores Island, famous for its history and Catholic heritage. Read more

Pope Francis speaks to pilgrims gathered in the arena in Verona, Italy, on May 18, 2024.

Pope Francis’ pastoral visit to Verona emphasizes call to be peacemakers  

May 18, 2024

By Matthew Santucci

The pope’s one-day visit to the northern Italian city of Verona on Saturday centered on a message of peace. Read more

St. Mark's Basilica in Venice, Italy.

Historic St. Mark’s Basilica in Venice, Italy, will host Pope Francis this weekend

Apr 25, 2024

By Francesca Pollio Fenton

Pope Francis will celebrate Mass in St. Mark’s Square this Sunday in Venice and then privately venerate the relics of... Read more

Graha Maria Annai Velangkanni Church, an Indian-Mughal style Catholic church in Medan, Indonesia.

Pope Francis’ Indonesia visit to ‘strengthen message of tolerance, unity, and world peace’

Apr 15, 2024

By Kristina Millare

The Indonesian government has confirmed the country will be the first destination in the 87-year-old pontiff’s apostolic journey to the... Read more

Pope Francis waves at the crowd of 1.5 million people who attended the closing Mass of World Youth Day 2023 in Lisbon, Portugal on Aug. 6, 2023.

What countries did Pope Francis visit in 2023 and what did he say?

Dec 30, 2023

By Peter Pinedo

Despite advanced age and health challenges, the pope visited six countries on three continents in 2023. Read more

Pope Francis presides over his weekly general audience in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican on Oct. 18, 2023.

Update: Pope Francis to attend COP28 climate change conference in Dubai in December

Nov 2, 2023

By Hannah Brockhaus

Pope Francis said in a TV interview he will travel to the United Arab Emirates for the second time from... Read more

Pope Francis at the Synod on Synodality on Oct. 6, 2023.

A papal visit to the South Pole? Pope Francis looks to new peripheries

Oct 17, 2023

By Courtney Mares

In a new interview, the pope said someone had recommended he make a visit to Antarctica the next time he’s... Read more

Pope Francis celebrates Mass for an estimated 50,000 people at the Vélodrome Stadium in Marseille, France, the last stop in his Sept. 22-23, 2023, visit to the port city to speak at an ecumenical meeting of young people and bishops called the “Rencontres Mediterraneennes,” or Mediterranean Encounter.

Pope Francis: Be Christians who ‘leap for joy’ in the face of life

Sep 23, 2023

By Hannah Brockhaus

Pope Francis celebrated Mass for an estimated 50,000 people in Marseille’s Vélodrome Stadium on Sept. 23. Read more

Pope Francis speaks during a meeting with local religious leaders at a memorial dedicated to sailors and migrants lost at sea on the first of a two-day visit to Marseille, France, Sept. 22, 2023.

Pope Francis in Marseille: It’s ‘a duty of humanity’ to save migrants abandoned at sea

Sep 22, 2023

By Hannah Brockhaus

“We can no longer watch the drama of shipwrecks, caused by the cruel trafficking and the fanaticism of indifference,” the... Read more

Catholics from Vietnam at Mass with Pope Francis in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, on Sept. 3, 2023.

Catholics in Vietnam ask Pope Francis to visit their country next

Sep 7, 2023

By Courtney Mares

Vietnam is home to millions of Catholics, yet no pope has ever visited the southeast Asian country. Read more

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5 things to know about Mongolia as Pope Francis prepares for his trip

Aug 28, 2023

By Jonah McKeown

The pope will travel to Mongolia Aug. 31–Sept. 4 to visit one of the smallest Christian communities in the world. Read more