Missionary Monika Tjhin Punan assures that in Singapore there is a lot of interest in Pope Francis’ visit because “although we are a minority, our presence is notable and appreciated in the country, especially through education.”
The missionary of the Verbum Dei Fraternity, a Singaporean of Chinese origin, is a second-generation Catholic and decided to follow this vocational path after meeting another missionary at the Faculty of Pharmacy where she was studying, according to has spread Pontifical Missionary Societies.
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Despite representing only 3% of the country’s population, the Catholic Church trains more than 46,000 students in 54 centers and manages more than 30 social institutions such as hospitals, dispensaries, orphanages and homes for the elderly or disabled.
Monika also points out that “the Church collaborates a lot in the effort of interreligious dialogue, given the background of our population here, multi-religious and multicultural.”
This is confirmed by the Spanish missionary Pilar Rodríguez, who was in Singapore for a few years and who points out that in the country “different religions coexist: Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, Christianity… There is freedom and tolerance.”
From her past experience in the Asian country, the Spaniard highlights that “this coexistence is almost physical” in such a way that “on the same street you can find a church, a Buddhist temple and a synagogue.”
In his opinion, the Catholic faith is liberating in a society in which there are many demands and “you always have to be number one.” “We provide the face of a human and living God, close; “The fact that Jesus is a man helps us accept what is fragile and vulnerable in people,” he adds.
This perspective is what leads some to experience conversion processes in adulthood. Thus, 38% of those baptized annually are over 7 years old.
The presence of the Catholic Church in the country dates back to just over 200 years and, although it is considered by OMP as a 100% mission territory, they already have their own missionaries, almost a hundred, present in twenty countries. .
As a mission territory and thanks to the generosity of donors around the world, the PMS is able to help with an annual contribution of more than $30,000 a year to this portion of the Catholic Church.
Nicholas de Cardenas
Born in 1980, I am a Spanish husband and father and journalist with more than 20 years of experience in print and digital media, specializing in sociopolitical and religious information. I have worked for more than 10 years in defense of human rights and have accreditations in Journalism and Comprehensive Communication. Since July 2022, I have been a correspondent for ACI Prensa and EWTN Noticias in Spain, covering international events of the Catholic Church.