On the Feast of the Most Holy Name of Mary, Pope Francis celebrated Mass alongside an estimated 50,000 people who nearly filled Singapore's National Stadium to capacity.
The Pope spent time greeting the attendees, many of whom were dressed in yellow and white to represent the Vatican flag.
The Mass opened with a hymn dedicated to Immaculate Mary.
In his homily, the Pope recognized the country's “great metropolis” and reminded the audience that these impressive works are only possible because of love.
POPE FRANCIS
Sometimes it happens that the greatness and grandeur of our projects can make us forget this, and fool us into thinking that we can be the sole authors of our lives, our wealth, our wellbeing, our happiness. But in the end, life always brings us back to one reality: without love, we are nothing.
Reflecting on love, the Pope encouraged the audience to generously respond to the needs of the poor, just as Mary and the saints.
Pope Francis closed his homily with reflecting on the missionary work of Saint Francis Xavier, who helped bring the faith to the area in the 16th century. Today, hundreds of years later, Catholicism is the only religion that is growing in Singapore.
AT
