Regulations prevent Malaysians from seeing Pope in Singapore – Eurasia Review

By Vanitha Nataraj

(UCA News) – Soosai Soosai signed up about 80 aspiring Catholics with his travel agency two months ago. SingaporeTo attend the mass of Pope Francis, who is visiting the island nation.

However, half of them left after learning that Malaysia’s roughly 1.5 million Catholics would have to share only 900 seats allocated by the Singapore diocese to attend papal Masses.

Nine dioceses in Malaysia were given 100 seats each, based on their numbers and Catholics.

Organizers say seats are limited for the 40,000-seat Singapore National Stadium on September 12.

Susai (who keeps her father’s name as her middle name) said most of the Catholics who signed up with her came from one parish — her Lourdes Church in Klang, 40 kilometers west of the Malaysian capital. Kuala Lumpur.

In addition to limited seating, Susai said security concerns are also discouraging people.

Security arrangements are expected to be tight following the recent terror attack at Ulu Tiram in Malaysia, 40 kilometers from Singapore.

A May 17 attacker, suspected to be a member of Jemaah Islamiyah, killed two policemen and wounded another.

Susai said the tight security systems would be particularly burdensome for the elderly. Most of his contractees are over 40 years old and one is over 70 years old. They consider it their only chance to meet the Pope. Security arrangements require people to arrive at the stadium early and leave only after an interval, which means they will spend six hours inside the stadium.

Some of his signings „have medical issues and it would be difficult for them to stay on the field for six hours,” Susai said.

Families are disappointed

Mary Tan, from the town of Petaling Jaya, outside Kuala Lumpur, wanted to attend the papal Mass with her 77-year-old mother, but decided against it after hearing about limited seating.

The 50-year-old Catholic said, “Generally, people prefer to go with family or friends rather than alone.

He said it was impossible for him and his mother to get the two seats offered to St Ignatius Parish in the Diocese of Kuala Lumpur.

Her fellow parishioner Catherine Leong agreed.

„We are [she and her husband] We had planned to go, but when we read that the ticket numbers were low, we abandoned the plan.

A Singaporean friend of Liang’s told her that the chances of seeing the pope „up close” were slim as he drove into the grounds in his popemobile.

„The ground in Singapore is flat and most of the time, we sit high up and watch the screen. We can watch the live broadcast at home,” he said.

Difficult travel difficulties

Travel to Singapore inspires people. „Imagine the traffic jam,” Susai said, to the Malaysian city of Johor Bahru, 30 kilometers away.

The land route connecting Malaysia and the city of Singapore is „notorious for traffic jams,” he said.

Singapore is located at the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula separated by the Johor Strait. The Johor-Singapore Causeway is a kilometer-long bridge connecting the two countries, connecting the railway and motorway. „Now, I can go to Singapore with about 40 people,” Susai said.

Those planning to travel to Singapore may be left without a seat and will have to follow the papal Mass broadcast live on screens outside the stadium or elsewhere nearby.

„But they don’t care. They are content to be in the same place as the Pope,” Susai told UCA News.

A once in a lifetime opportunity

Anna Teresa Peter Amandus of the Diocese of Sandakan in Malaysia said: „For us, seeing the Pope is a once-in-a-lifetime event,” she told UCA News.

The diocese of Sandakan is located on the southeast coast of Sabah in Borneo and has about 64,000 Catholics in five parishes and one mission station, said Diocesan Episcopal Administrator Amandus.

They may not be able to see Francis „face to face,” Ammatus said, but „seeing him from a distance will be a blessing for each of us.”

Sandakan Diocese has 100 vacancies but only 68 vacancies are filled and they are mostly aged 50 and above.

„Many wanted to attend, but unfortunately, the date of the Mass coincided with the diocesan program that had been planned since last year,” he explained.

Another barrier is the high cost of travel. Those traveling from Sabah to Singapore will need to make their own travel arrangements by taking a flight.

Amandus, the official diocesan representative and travel coordinator, said a social media group has been created to share important information regarding the Pope’s Mass among the diocesan community.

He added that the group plans to hold a spiritual preparation session before leaving for Singapore.

’Welcome All Clergy’

Some Catholics in Malaysia To overcome the limited quota of seats for Malaysian laity, they have various plans, including registration with the Archdiocese of Singapore.

Angeline Lee of Our Lady of Fatima Church in Kuala Lumpur is one such person.

“Although I met Pope Francis while volunteering at two World Youth Day events in Rio de Janeiro in 2013 and Krakow in 2016, my focus was to see him,” he told UCA News.

“It will be difficult to get a seat. But I am hopeful. I pray fervently, fast, and serve the Lord by playing the keyboard,” said the 52-year-old, who is active in his parish.

Lee will join about 40 others who plan to travel by bus to Singapore for the papal visit. They belong to different parishes of the Diocese of Kuala Lumpur.

Monsignor Patrick BoudevilleHe said each parish coordinating the seat allocation in the Kuala Lumpur Diocese could send two to the Singapore Mass.

There are some in the cathedral 260,000 Catholics In 35 parishes.

The remaining 30 seats will be distributed equally – 15 to religious and 15 to persons with disabilities in the archdiocese.

He said it was bad for religious people to take, but did not give reasons.

Sources said the Singapore Diocese has invited all Malaysian priests without any quota restrictions. However, it is not yet known how many people plan to go