SINGAPORE: The National Stadium was abuzz with activity as early as 11am on Thursday (Sep 12), six hours before the papal mass was set to begin.
Lines of people decked out in white and yellow - the colours of the Vatican flag - formed outside the stadium, holding umbrellas to shield themselves from the sun.
By 12.30pm, CNA counted at least 200 people in the queue at one of the entrances.
Barriers were set up to block off some areas to people without tickets, and many security staff helped to maintain order. Police officers and ambulances were also spotted.
Security checks to enter the stadium started at around 12.45pm, and attendees could visit booths selling exclusive souvenirs before the official programme began.
Security staff were heard reminding people that they were early and that there was no need to run.
About 50,000 people are expected to attend the mass at the National Stadium later this evening, which will also be streamed live online. Pope Francis, who arrived in Singapore on Wednesday afternoon, will deliver the homily.
Tickets to the mass were distributed through two rounds of online balloting, with some tickets reserved for overseas Catholics from Malaysia and Brunei.
Ms Ann-Marie Kang, an engineer in her 40s, was first in line at one of the entrances to the stadium. She said she arrived some time past 10am to avoid crowds, and started queuing at 11am.
Dressed in pale yellow and white, she was excited to attend the mass, and happy to have got a ticket during the second ballot.
"It's special," she said. "Once in a lifetime."
People attending the papal mass at the National Stadium on Sep 12, 2024. Ms Desiree Loh and her husband Mr John Liew, Ms Irene Tan, Ms Aileen Seah and Ms Rita Woodman met at the MRT station and decided to queue to enter the stadium together. (Photo: CNA/Ili Nadhirah Mansor)
Retiree Rita Woodman, 55, said she was looking forward to hearing Pope Francis' message during the mass.
She was in the queue with four people from different churches whom she met at the MRT station on the way to the National Stadium.
"Unity and hope," she said, referring to the theme of the visit. "This is unity - that we come together in unity, regardless of who we are."
They were all wearing shirts specially designed for the papal visit, which were available at the Catholic Centre.
"Singapore is very blessed (to have Pope Francis come for a visit)," added Mr John Liew, who was part of the group together with his wife.
"Out of so many countries, he came here," he said.
More than 2,000 people are involved in the mass - including 1,600 choir members, 390 Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion, 656 wardens, 300 altar servers, 128 medics and nurses, and 260 crowd control personnel.
Attendees must be seated by 3.30pm and the pontiff will arrive at 4.30pm. He will tour around the pitch of the National Stadium to greet the crowds on his Popemobile, a vehicle specially designed to allow him to be more visible during public appearances.
Among those present will be 2,600 kindergarten and junior college students, 310 migrant workers, 1,000 elderly people from parishes across the country and 250 wheelchair users. Another 3,000 Catholics from the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences countries will also be there.
About 280 priests and 50 bishops and cardinals will jointly officiate the mass.
Singapore last hosted a papal visit in 1986. Then-Pope John Paul II's papal mass lasted two hours, with 70,000 attendees braving a downpour at the old National Stadium.
Earlier on Thursday, Pope Francis attended a welcome ceremony at the Parliament House, met President Tharman Shanmugaratnam and Prime Minister Lawrence Wong and delivered a state address at the National University of Singapore.
On Friday, he will visit residents at St Theresa's Home and attend an interreligious meeting with youths at Catholic Junior College to round off his trip.
Singapore is the last stop in Pope Francis' Asia-Pacific tour, which saw the pontiff travel to Indonesia, Papua New Guinea and Timor-Leste.
Continue reading...
Lines of people decked out in white and yellow - the colours of the Vatican flag - formed outside the stadium, holding umbrellas to shield themselves from the sun.
By 12.30pm, CNA counted at least 200 people in the queue at one of the entrances.
Barriers were set up to block off some areas to people without tickets, and many security staff helped to maintain order. Police officers and ambulances were also spotted.
Security checks to enter the stadium started at around 12.45pm, and attendees could visit booths selling exclusive souvenirs before the official programme began.
Security staff were heard reminding people that they were early and that there was no need to run.
About 50,000 people are expected to attend the mass at the National Stadium later this evening, which will also be streamed live online. Pope Francis, who arrived in Singapore on Wednesday afternoon, will deliver the homily.
Tickets to the mass were distributed through two rounds of online balloting, with some tickets reserved for overseas Catholics from Malaysia and Brunei.
Ms Ann-Marie Kang, an engineer in her 40s, was first in line at one of the entrances to the stadium. She said she arrived some time past 10am to avoid crowds, and started queuing at 11am.
Dressed in pale yellow and white, she was excited to attend the mass, and happy to have got a ticket during the second ballot.
"It's special," she said. "Once in a lifetime."
People attending the papal mass at the National Stadium on Sep 12, 2024. Ms Desiree Loh and her husband Mr John Liew, Ms Irene Tan, Ms Aileen Seah and Ms Rita Woodman met at the MRT station and decided to queue to enter the stadium together. (Photo: CNA/Ili Nadhirah Mansor)
Retiree Rita Woodman, 55, said she was looking forward to hearing Pope Francis' message during the mass.
She was in the queue with four people from different churches whom she met at the MRT station on the way to the National Stadium.
"Unity and hope," she said, referring to the theme of the visit. "This is unity - that we come together in unity, regardless of who we are."
They were all wearing shirts specially designed for the papal visit, which were available at the Catholic Centre.
"Singapore is very blessed (to have Pope Francis come for a visit)," added Mr John Liew, who was part of the group together with his wife.
"Out of so many countries, he came here," he said.
More than 2,000 people are involved in the mass - including 1,600 choir members, 390 Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion, 656 wardens, 300 altar servers, 128 medics and nurses, and 260 crowd control personnel.
Attendees must be seated by 3.30pm and the pontiff will arrive at 4.30pm. He will tour around the pitch of the National Stadium to greet the crowds on his Popemobile, a vehicle specially designed to allow him to be more visible during public appearances.
Among those present will be 2,600 kindergarten and junior college students, 310 migrant workers, 1,000 elderly people from parishes across the country and 250 wheelchair users. Another 3,000 Catholics from the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences countries will also be there.
About 280 priests and 50 bishops and cardinals will jointly officiate the mass.
Singapore last hosted a papal visit in 1986. Then-Pope John Paul II's papal mass lasted two hours, with 70,000 attendees braving a downpour at the old National Stadium.
Earlier on Thursday, Pope Francis attended a welcome ceremony at the Parliament House, met President Tharman Shanmugaratnam and Prime Minister Lawrence Wong and delivered a state address at the National University of Singapore.
On Friday, he will visit residents at St Theresa's Home and attend an interreligious meeting with youths at Catholic Junior College to round off his trip.
Singapore is the last stop in Pope Francis' Asia-Pacific tour, which saw the pontiff travel to Indonesia, Papua New Guinea and Timor-Leste.
Continue reading...