Pope commends inclusiveness, support for the vulnerable in S'pore

Pontiff hopes for special attention to be paid to poor and elderly, and to protect dignity of migrant workers

- Tham Yuen-C

Singapore has prospered while striving to build a society that values social justice and the common good, Pope Francis said on Sept 12.

Speaking in Italian at a state address held at the National University of Singapore's University Cultural Centre, he praised the Republic's policies on public housing, education and healthcare, which he said demonstrated the Government's commitment to improving the lives of its citizens.

But he also warned of the risk in focusing solely on pragmatism or "placing merit above all things", which could lead to the unintended consequence of justifying the exclusion of those on the margins from Singapore's progress.

The 87-year-old pontiff was addressing an 800-strong audience including former presidents Tony Tan and Halimah Yacob, Cabinet ministers, members of the diplomatic corps, government officials, representatives from civil society, inter-religious organisations and social services agencies, as well as students.

Before that, he had received a ceremonial welcome at Parliament House and had an orchid named in his honour. He also called on President Tharman Shanmugaratnam and met Prime Minister Lawrence Wong.

Delivering his speech, Pope Francis, who is head of the Vatican City state, commended the various policies and initiatives put in place to support the most vulnerable in society.

In recent years, Singapore has introduced schemes such as ComLink+ to uplift lower-income families and provide them stability and social mobility, as well as boosted the Workfare Income Supplement for lower-wage workers.

The Pope said he hoped that special attention would be paid to the poor and the elderly, whose labours have laid the foundation for Singapore today.

He also called for Singapore to protect the dignity of migrant workers.

"These workers contribute a great deal to society and should be guaranteed a fair wage," he said.