Pope Francis held Mass and urged migrant staff to be paid “fairly” as he visited the prosperous city-state of Singapore on Thursday on the final cease of his lengthy Asia-Pacific tour.
The 87-year-old pontiff mentioned “special attention” needs to be paid to “protecting the dignity of migrant workers” in an tackle to political leaders and dignitaries.
“These workers contribute greatly to society and should be guaranteed a fair wage,” he mentioned.
There are an estimated 170 million migrant staff world wide. Most dwell within the Americas or Europe-Central Asia.
Cheap labor has been instrumental within the speedy progress of gleaming metropolises reminiscent of Dubai, Doha and Singapore – the fourth cease on the pope’s Asia tour.
About 300,000 low-wage migrant staff are estimated to work in Singapore. Many flock from South Asia and the Philippines, which has a big and religious Catholic majority.
Advocates say they’re typically exploited and endure poor residing circumstances, together with compelled dormitory lockdowns in the course of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I’m so happy that the pope has chosen to speak on this topic,” a 34-year-old Filipina home helper advised Agence France-Presse (AFP), asking to not be recognized as a result of she didn’t have permission from her employer.
“Even if they don’t raise my salary, I’m still happy to know that the pope is fighting and praying for us,” she mentioned.
The lady mentioned she earned $460 a month in a nation the place, in response to Ministry for Manpower statistics, the median gross revenue is $3,985.
The pope didn’t discuss with staff in Singapore explicitly. However, his feedback are prone to trigger unease for a authorities that denies widespread abuse and is fiercely protecting of its picture.
A spokesperson for the manpower ministry mentioned circumstances for staff in Singapore had improved through the years by contract enforcement and different measures.
“Wages in Singapore are determined by the free market and we do not prescribe minimum wages for workers in Singapore, whether local or foreign,” the spokesperson advised AFP.
‘Mosaic of ethnicities’
The Argentine pope was in any other case glowing about his hosts, praising the “entrepreneurial spirit” and dynamism that constructed a “mass of ultra-modern skyscrapers that seem to rise from the sea.”
“Singapore is a mosaic of ethnicities, cultures and religions living together in harmony,” he mentioned, portray the inhabitants of just about 6 million as a shining mild for the world.
“I encourage you to continue to work in favor of the unity and fraternity of humanity and the common good of all peoples and all nations,” he mentioned.
About 30% of Singaporeans are Buddhist, 20% haven’t any faith and the remainder are a mixture of Catholic, Protestant, Taoist and Hindu.
‘I’m going to cry’
Singapore is the final cease on the pope’s 12-day Asia-Pacific journey to spice up the Catholic Church’s standing on the planet’s most populous area.
Francis has defied doubts about his well being throughout a journey that has taken him from Jakarta’s grand mosque to a distant jungle in Papua New Guinea.
He has carried out dozens of public engagements, energized congregations and sat for hours within the brutal tropical warmth regardless of not too long ago present process hernia surgical procedure and coping with a string of respiratory points.
In East Timor, he held a mass for 600,000 trustworthy – virtually half the inhabitants.
Although the crowds have been markedly smaller in Singapore, teams of fans nonetheless lined the streets, attempting to glimpse the one they name the “Holy Father.”
An estimated 50,000 folks attended a mass in Singapore’s nationwide stadium on Thursday night.
“Francis has this special ability to connect with the people, to touch people,” mentioned Eveena Job, 21, who was born in India however lives in Singapore along with her household.
Others didn’t make it into the stadium and as a substitute sat outdoors on benches and picnic blankets, watching mass on digital units or listening to the faint noise from inside the world.
Genevieve Kamali, a 53-year-old Fijian, missed out on tickets and huddled outdoors with eight members of the family. But she was not too dissatisfied.
“The Holy Father is just a few meters away,” she advised AFP. “Faith is about not seeing but believing.”
Source: www.dailysabah.com