Pope Francis’ focus on Asia

Pope Francis' interest in the world's largest continent, Asia, is reflected in the fact that he has made “many trips there,” as Indonesian Catholic journalist Ryan Dagur points out. He has visited 22 Asian countries, equaling John Paul II's record (achieved over 27 years vs. Francis’ 11).

Benedict XVI, in his relatively short pontificate, did not go beyond the Near East (Turkey, Lebanon, and the Holy Land) on the Asian continent.

Filipino Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, one of Pope Francis' closest “cabinet members,” points out, however, that Asia is a “world comprising different worlds.” It is therefore difficult to see a coherent whole in the Pontiff's long pilgrimage to this immense space.

Despite this diversity, the missionary adventure seems to be the common thread running through the Pope's journeys to Asia. He dreamed of following in the footsteps of St. Francis Xavier, the apostle of the Far East, when he was a seminarian in Buenos Aires, but had to abandon the idea for health reasons.

But this missionary adventure is also that of the whole Church, as Michel Chambon, a Singapore-based specialist in Catholicism in Asia, points out. He believes that there’s a general “movement” toward Asia, from Matteo Ricci in the 16th century to Vatican II and Francis.

Now aged 87, the dream of Francis' youth once again materialized with his visit to Indonesia, where St. Francis Xavier stayed for many years. But this interest is not just “romantic.” Sylvia Kooh, a Singaporean Catholic deeply involved in the life of her diocese, observes that “in recent years,” the Pope “has turned his attention to Asia. I believe that Pope Francis recognizes that the future of the Catholic Church lies in Asia,” she reflects.

The Singaporean points to the creation of numerous Asian cardinals as a visible sign of the Pope's interest. She is thinking, of course, of her own archbishop, Cardinal William Goh, the first Singaporean to wear the traditional red biretta, in 2022, as well as the archbishop of Jakarta and the archbishop of Dili, also created cardinals by the Argentine pontiff.

Nevertheless, while two Asian prelates are prefects of dicasteries, Asia remains “under-represented” in Rome, says theologian and anthropologist Michel Chambon. For example, there are far more Irish than Indonesians in the Curia, even though the Catholic population is larger (and more dynamic) in Indonesia than in Ireland.

Asia is home to 11% of the world's Catholic population, or over 150 million faithful (2021 statistics), with slow but steady growth in recent years. The faith has sometimes taken root in spectacular fashion: During his trip, the Pope visited the country with the most Catholic population in the world — after the Vatican — East Timor (97%). Practically half the population of the country attended his Mass.

However, Asian Catholics account for just 3.3% of the continent's population, a drop in the bucket in this region that is home to 4.6 billion of the world’s inhabitants. Other religions are far more established — notably Islam and Buddhism. The number of Catholics in Asia even falls to 1% of the continental population if the Catholic giant, the Philippines, is removed from the statistics.

But Francis has also distinguished himself with visits to countries where Christians are clearly in the minority. These include Mongolia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Myanmar, where he was the first pontiff to set foot. However, while evangelization is one of the aims of these trips, theologian and anthropologist Michel Chambon insists that the Pope is not proposing a “commercial” vision of the Church, aimed at selling Catholicism where it is least represented.

During his trip to Mongolia (September 2023), Pope Francis warned against proselytizing and defended a Church that “whispers the Gospel” in the ears of the peoples of Asia, quoting Cardinal Marengo, Apostolic Prefect of the region. This includes interreligious dialogue, of which the Pope is “a fervent defender,” says Ryan Dagur.

In his view, this places Asian countries “at the forefront, given their multi-religious make-up.” The Pope is aware that the Catholic Church cannot ignore “Asia's very resilient traditions,” not only spiritual but also cultural and political, stresses Michel Chambon.

This again came up with his much-discussed comments to young people in Singapore, as he congratulated them for discussing religions, but not arguing about differences.

The Pope's focus is evident in papal diplomacy in Asia, particularly regarding the question of relations with China and Vietnam, two Communist giants historically very hostile to the Catholic Church. Under the leadership of Pope Francis' Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, considerable efforts have been made. Results include the signing of a pastoral agreement on the appointment of Chinese bishops in 2018 (even if this agreement is highly debated) and the appointment of a resident papal representative in Vietnam in 2023, the final step before formal diplomatic relations are established.

The method employed is much the same: It consists in making governments understand that giving the Church its place is not a danger for their country, but an opportunity. This is a message that the Pope, who hopes one day to visit China and Vietnam, has repeatedly conveyed on his trips to neighboring Asian countries.

Of course, Pope Francis' interest is also spiritual, as it involves breaking out of a vision of the Church that is closed and focused on its European past. “I think Pope Francis recognizes that the future of the Catholic Church lies in Asia, where the Church is more vibrant [...] and has better integrated local culture,” argues Singaporean Sylvia Kooh.

“We need to 'decentralize' ourselves, to make a journey to the East, to put ourselves in the school of a spiritual and ecclesial way of life that can reinvigorate our faith,” declared the pontiff in March 2023 in the preface of a book by Cardinal Lazarus You Heung-sik, Prefect of the Dicastery for the Clergy, a cardinal that some see as a possible future pope.

It’s no coincidence that the pontiff has entrusted the South Korean cardinal and the Filipino cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle with the two positions responsible for accompanying the vast majority of priests worldwide.