Pope Francis greets 103-year-old Jesuit Father João Felgueiras in East Timor

As part of the customs established during his apostolic travels, Pope Francis has met with groups of priests of the Society of Jesus in each of the countries he has visited on his tour of Asia and Oceania.

Although these meetings usually take place privately, certain details are usually shared by the Vatican or by some of the participants.

As reported Vatican Newsduring his meeting with members of the Society on his visit to East Timor, Pope Francis met one of the oldest Jesuits in the world, Father João Felgueiras, 103 years old.

The Holy Father spoke yesterday for almost an hour with 41 Jesuits, including 8 novices, gathered at the Nunciature in the city of Dili before heading to Singapore.

The first thing Pope Francis did when entering the room was to hug and thank the elderly Portuguese priest who has lived in East Timor since the Indonesian occupation for his service.

At this meeting, in which priests from places such as Vietnam, Malaysia and the Philippines participated, there was a “family atmosphere,” as recounted by Father Nuno da Silva Gonçalves, a member of the papal delegation.

As usual, the priests asked the Pontiff several questions and later listened attentively to his answers. Specifically, during the meeting in Dili, the Holy Father was asked how he sees the work of the Jesuits in each country.

Likewise, they talked about the commitment to social justice, the Social Doctrine of the Church and its importance.

Pope Francis also insisted, as he did during his speech to the country’s authorities, on the value of inculturation.

This September 11, hours after landing in Singapore, Pope Francis also held a private meeting with the Jesuits at the “Saint Francis Xavier” Retreat Center.

This has been the first and only commitment that the Pontiff has had today in Singapore, since his agenda will resume tomorrow, September 12.