In his address to the authorities of the commercial and financial crossroads of South-East Asia, Francis praised the model of peace and collaboration between different peoples that the city-state embodies. But he also called for a “fair wage” for immigrants and attention to family and human relations in the metropolises of the digital world. A model of a “multilateralism based on common standards for all” in today’s world torn by conflict.
Singapore () – A model of what the world can become, where different people work together for the good of all. But – in the Singapore of ultra-modern skyscrapers and huge financial flows – he also warned against getting stuck in the pragmatism of efficiency and results, forgetting those who are on the sidelines. Or, worse still, forced to work in semi-slavery to make the well-being of others possible.
This was the message that Pope Francis sent this morning in his first speech to the authorities, representatives of civil society and the diplomatic corps of Singapore, the metropolis and crossroads of Southeast Asia, the last stage of his long apostolic journey through Asia and Oceania.
The pontiff spoke in the auditorium of the National University of Singapore, with a new variety of orchid dedicated to him by his side on the occasion of his visit. Next to him was President Tharman Shanmugaratnam, with whom he had a private conversation at Parliament House before meeting the young Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, who in May embodied the generational change at the head of the city-state. Significantly, hours later, at the St. Francis Xavier Retreat Centre – where he has been staying these days – the pontiff also received former Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, the 72-year-old son of Lee Kuan Yew, the “founding father” of modern Singapore, who governed from 1959 to 1990 and whom Francis himself wished to pay tribute to in his speech, for the “strong impetus he gave to the rapid growth and transformation of the country.”
“A story of growth and resilience,” said the pontiff, stressing that Singapore “has not only prospered economically, but has striven to build a society in which social justice and the common good are held in high regard.” In the shadow of its skyscrapers, however, there is no shortage of dangers in today’s global economy. Pope Francis noted in particular “the risk entailed by a certain kind of pragmatism and a certain exaltation of merit, that is, the unintended consequence of legitimizing the exclusion of those who find themselves on the margins of the benefits of progress.”
The Pope said he hoped that “particular attention will be paid to the poor, to the elderly – whose efforts laid the foundations of the Singapore we know today – and also to safeguarding the dignity of migrant workers, who contribute so much to the construction of society and who must be guaranteed a fair wage.” Francis also referred to the lights and shadows of the new digital frontiers, another important face of contemporary Singapore. “The rapid development in the use of artificial intelligence – he said – cannot make us forget that it is essential to cultivate real and concrete human relationships, and that these technologies can be used precisely to bring us closer to each other, fostering understanding and solidarity, and not to dangerously isolate us in a fictitious and intangible reality.”
In all this, Singapore brings its unique experience of harmony between ethnicities, cultures and religions: “The achievement and maintenance of this positive integration – Francis commented – is favoured by the impartiality of the public authorities, engaged in a constructive dialogue with all, which makes it possible for each to make its own contribution to the common good and to prevent extremism and intolerance from gaining strength and endangering social peace.” These conditions have been “determinant for the success and stability that Singapore has achieved, and are prerequisites for a development that is not conflictual and chaotic, but balanced and sustainable.”
But it is a role – added Pope Francis – that Singapore is also called to play in the international order, today threatened by conflicts and bloody wars. “I am happy that with great merit it has promoted multilateralism and a system based on common standards for all. I encourage you to continue working for the unity and fraternity of the human race, for the benefit of the common good of all.”
The Pontiff then singled out two areas in particular: firstly, the role of the family, whose foundations today – he observed – “are being questioned and risk being weakened”, while, on the contrary, “it is necessary to establish the conditions so that families can transmit the values that give meaning and form to life, and teach young people to establish solid and healthy relationships”. And, secondly, the environmental crisis: “Your unique location – Francis told the authorities of Singapore – offers you access to capital, technology and talent, resources that can guide innovation to care for the health of our common home”.
The city-state is “a shining example of what humanity can achieve by working together in harmony, with a sense of responsibility and with an inclusive and fraternal spirit,” the pontiff concluded. “I encourage you to continue along this path, trusting in God’s promise and in his paternal love for all.”
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