Celebrates Mass, drawing 50,000, including Hong Kong cardinal. Photo: Reuters.
Pope Francis on Thursday urged political leaders in Singapore, a leading global financial hub, to seek fair wages for the country's million-plus lower-paid foreign workers.
In likely the last major speech of an ambitious 12-day tour across Southeast Asia and Oceania, the 87-year-old pontiff expressed concern for Singapore's rapidly ageing population and its migrant workforce, centred in the construction and domestic services industries.
"I hope that special attention will be paid to the poor and the elderly ... as well as to protecting the dignity of migrant workers," the pope said in an address to about 1,000 politicians and civil and religious leaders.
"These workers contribute a great deal to society and should be guaranteed a fair wage," he said.
There were 1.1 million foreigners on work permits in Singapore who earned less than S$3,000 ($2,300) per month as of December 2023, including 286,300 domestic workers and 441,100 workers in the construction, shipyard and process sectors, government data shows.
Many of the migrant workers come from nearby countries such as Malaysia, China, Bangladesh and India. Many also come from the Philippines, a majority Catholic country.
A Singapore NGO that provides services for migrant workers, Humanitarian Organisation for Migration Economics, welcomed the pope's remarks, saying they were in "full agreement" with his call for fair wages.
Singapore's Ministry of Manpower said in emailed comments that wages were set by the free market and the government did not prescribe minimum wages for workers in the country.
"Our employment laws are complemented by rigorous enforcement to ensure that our migrant workers are properly and fairly treated, and their employment rights and well-being protected," the ministry said.
Concern for migrants has been a common theme for Francis. Earlier on his trip, he asked leaders in Papua New Guinea to work for fair wages as that country becomes a major target of international companies for its gas, gold and other reserves.
Francis' speech came after private meetings with President Tharman Shanmugaratnam and Prime Minister Lawrence Wong at the country's parliament building, where the pope was presented with a white orchid plant, a new hybrid that was named in his honour.
Pope highlights ageing population, large migrant workforce and praises Singapore's climate change efforts as a global model.
Francis praised Singapore's efforts to confront climate change, calling them a model for other countries.
Singapore's government says rising sea levels due to global warming could have major implications for its low-lying coastline and it is planning to spend S$100 billion ($77 billion) over the course of the century on the issue.
"Your commitment to sustainable development and the preservation of creation is an example to follow," the pope said. Francis, who has prioritised trips to places never visited by a pope, or where Catholics are a small minority, is only the second pope to visit Singapore, following a brief 5-hour layover by the late John Paul II in 1986.
Singapore, with a population of 5.92 million, is plurality Buddhist, with about 31% of people identifying with that faith. The Vatican counts about 210,000 Catholics in the country, although that number is higher if foreign workers are included.
There are also strong Muslim, Hindu and Taoist communities, and Francis praised Singapore as "a mosaic of ethnicities, cultures and religions living together in harmony".
Francis celebrated a Mass the Vatican said drew some 50,000 people to Singapore's national sports stadium, a venue that has also hosted performers such as Taylor Swift, who played six concerts there in March.
People queued outside the stadium, under tight security measures, at least five hours before the start of the event.
Connie Rodriguez, a Filipino Catholic in Singapore, said it was "overwhelming" to see the pope. "You really feel so blessed," she said.
Francis toured the stadium at the beginning of the event in a white golf cart decorated with the Vatican seal. He greeted dozens of schoolchildren, babies, and disabled people. He also took a few selfies.
Among those who attended the Mass, which featured a prayer in Mandarin, were Catholics who travelled from Hong Kong for the event, including the territory's archbishop, Cardinal Stephen Chow Sau-yan.
The Vatican is currently renegotiating a controversial deal with China over the appointment of Catholic bishops in the country, which is up for renewal in October.
Francis' 12-day tour has also included stops in Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, and East Timor. He returns to Rome on Friday.
教宗方濟各訪問新加坡，敦促外籍勞工公平工資
教宗方濟各週四敦促全球領先的金融中心新加坡的政治領導人為該國數百萬低薪外國工人尋求公平的工資。
這位87 歲的教宗可能是他為期12 天的東南亞和大洋洲雄心勃勃之行的最後一次重要講話，他對新加坡迅速老齡化的人口及其以建築和家政服務業為主的移民勞動力表示擔憂。
教宗在向約 1000 名政界人士以及公民和宗教領袖發表講話時表示：“我希望人們特別關注窮人和老年人……以及保護移民工人的尊嚴。”
他說：“這些工人為社會做出了巨大貢獻，應該得到公平的工資保障。”
政府數據顯示，截至2023 年12 月，新加坡有110 萬持有工作許可證的外國人月收入低於3,000 新元（2,300 美元），其中包括286,300 名家庭工人以及建築、造船廠和加工行業的441,100名工人。
許多移工來自馬來西亞、中國、孟加拉和印度等附近國家。 許多人也來自天主教徒佔多數的國家菲律賓。
為移民工人提供服務的新加坡非政府組織移民經濟人道主義組織對教宗的言論表示歡迎，稱他們「完全同意」他關於公平工資的呼籲。
新加坡人力部在電子郵件評論中表示，工資是由自由市場決定的，政府沒有規定該國工人的最低工資。
該部表示：“我們的就業法得到嚴格執法的補充，以確保我們的農民工得到適當和公平的待遇，並保護他們的就業權利和福祉。”
關心移民一直是方濟各的共同主題。 在訪問早些時候，他要求巴布亞紐幾內亞領導人爭取公平的工資，因為該國已成為國際公司爭奪天然氣、黃金和其他儲備的主要目標。
教宗方濟各在國家議會大廈與尚達曼總統和總理黃循財舉行私人會晤後發表了講話，教宗在國會大廈收到了一株白色蘭花植物，這是一種以他的名字命名的新型雜交植物。
方濟各讚揚新加坡應對氣候變遷的努力，稱其為其他國家的典範。
新加坡政府表示，全球暖化導致的海平面上升可能對其低窪的海岸線產生重大影響，並計劃在本世紀內為此問題花費 1,000 億新元（770 億美元）。
教宗說：“你們對永續發展和保護創造的承諾是值得效仿的榜樣。” 方濟各優先訪問教宗從未造訪過的地方，或天主教徒佔少數的地方，他是繼 1986 年已故約翰保羅二世短暫停留 5 小時之後訪問新加坡的第二位教宗。
新加坡有 592 萬人口，信奉佛教，約 31% 的人認同這項信仰。 根據梵蒂岡統計，全國約有 21 萬名天主教徒，但如果包括外籍勞工的話，這個數字會更高。
這裡還有強大的穆斯林、印度教和道教社區，教宗方濟各稱讚新加坡是「不同種族、文化和宗教和諧的混合體」。
方濟各慶祝了一場彌撒，梵蒂岡稱吸引了大約5 萬人來到新加坡國家體育場，該場館還接待了泰勒·斯威夫特(Taylor Swift) 等表演者，泰勒·斯威夫特(Taylor Swift)今年3 月曾在那裡舉辦了六場音樂會。
比賽開始前至少五個小時，人們在嚴格的安全措施下在體育場外排隊。
新加坡的菲律賓天主教徒康妮·羅德里格斯 (Connie Rodriguez) 表示，見到教皇「令人震驚」。 「你真的感到很幸福，」她說。
活動開始時，教宗方濟各乘坐飾有梵蒂岡印章的白色高爾夫球車參觀了體育場。 他向數十名學童、嬰兒和殘障人士打招呼。 他還拍了幾張自拍照。
參加以國語祈禱的彌撒的人中有從香港趕來參加活動的天主教徒，其中包括香港大主教周星馳紅衣主教。
梵蒂岡目前正在與中國就天主教主教的任命問題與中國重新談判一項有爭議的協議，該協議將於 10 月續簽。
方濟各為期12天的訪問還包括印尼、巴布亞紐幾內亞和東帝汶的停留。 他於週五返回羅馬。
Source: Reuters
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