DILI, East Timor — It was the farthest trip of his pontificate and one of the longest papal trips ever in terms of days on the road and distance traveled. But Pope Francis, age 87, hobbled by bad knees and bent over with sciatica, appeared to be having the time of his life.
With half of East Timor's population gathered at a seaside park, Francis couldn't help but oblige them with a final good night and languid loops in his popemobile, long after the sun had set and the field was lit by cellphone screens.It was late, the heat and humidity had turned Tasitolu park into something of a sauna, and most of the journalists had already gone back to their air-conditioned hotel to watch the Mass on TV.
'Francis has frequently made the same demographic quip at home in Italy, which has one of the world's lowest birthrates. But the high-profile trip meant that his trademark sarcasm got amplified. American commentators immediately assumed Francis had entered the 'childless cat ladies' debate roiling US politics, but there was no indication he had JD Vance in mind.
Francis Goes Off-Script In Asia And Reminds World He Can Still Draw Crowd
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Pope Francis, 87, takes climate message to Southeast Asia on 12-day tripThe tour will be Francis' 45th foreign trip since his election in March 2013
Read more »
Pope Francis heads to Southeast Asia in ambitious tripLatest Philippine news from GMA News and 24 Oras. News, weather updates and livestreaming on Philippine politics, regions, showbiz, lifestyle, science and tech.
Read more »
Pope Francis embarks on historic and challenging journey to Asia and Oceania, spanning 4 countriesVATICAN CITY—If any evidence were needed to underscore that Pope Francis’ upcoming trip to Asia and Oceania is the longest, farthest and most challenging of his pontificate, it’s that he’s bringing along his secretaries to help him navigate the four-country program while keeping up with work back home.
Read more »
Pope Francis' Asia trip marks 60 years of papal visits to the regionBANGKOK, Thailand (AP) — Pope Francis' visit to Southeast Asia, the longest trip in his papacy, is the latest in decades of regular papal visits to the Asia-Pacific region.
Read more »
Pope Francis departs Rome for 12-day tour across Southeast AsiaLatest Philippine news from GMA News and 24 Oras. News, weather updates and livestreaming on Philippine politics, regions, showbiz, lifestyle, science and tech.
Read more »
Pope Francis arrives in Indonesia to begin ambitious Asia-Pacific tourLatest Philippine news from GMA News and 24 Oras. News, weather updates and livestreaming on Philippine politics, regions, showbiz, lifestyle, science and tech.
Read more »