Vatican's second-highest leader to visit Singapore

The Secretary of State of the Holy See, His Eminence Cardinal Pietro Parolin, will visit Singapore from Aug 15 to 17.

The Secretary of State is the second most senior leader in the Holy See after the Pope.

On Aug 17, Cardinal Parolin will call on President Tony Tan Keng Yam and Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and will be hosted to lunch by Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister for Law K. Shanmugam, according to a Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) press statement.

Senior Parliamentary Secretary, Ministry of Education and Ministry of Manpower Hawazi Daipi will attend a dinner on the same day hosted by the Apostolic Nunciature of Singapore in honour of Cardinal Parolin.

In addition, Cardinal Parolin will visit the Singapore Botanic Gardens.

While in Singapore, Cardinal Parolin will also have various engagements with the Catholic community.

Cardinal Parolin's visit reaffirms the close ties between the Holy See and Singapore, said the MFA statement.

The last high-level visit from the Holy See was by then secretary for relations with states, Archbishop Giovanni Lajolo, in June 2005.

The late Pope John Paul II visited Singapore in November 1986.

This article was first published on Aug 15, 2015.
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