Pope Francis arrives in Thailand on Wednesday for the first visit here by the head of the Roman Catholic Church since St. John Paul II in 1984. Some things to know about the visit and the history of the church in Thailand:
1. IT’S A MORALE BOOSTER. Francis is certain to address some of the major social concerns he often highlights, but his visit is largely a morale-boosting exercise for the Catholic community. His video message ahead of his trip says he will meet Thai Catholics "to encourage them in their faith and in the contribution they make to the whole of society. They are Thais and must work for their homeland." He also said he wants to highlight the importance of interreligious dialogue and cooperation, especially in the service of the poor and peace.
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Pope Francis arrives in Thailand on Wednesday for the first visit here by the head of the Roman Catholic Church since St. John Paul II in 1984. Some things to know about the visit and the history of the church in Thailand:
3. CATHOLICS TODAY. The predominantly Buddhist country has about 388,000 Catholics, 0.58% of its 69 million people. Essentially there are two Catholic communities in Thailand: urbanized residents of the capital whose children attend prestigious private schools and colleges run by the church, and less affluent members of ethnic minorities in the northeast and north. Many of the rural Catholic communities include descendants of refugees who fled persecution in Vietnam.
5. HIS MEETINGS. Francis will meet King Maha Vajiralongkorn, who was crown prince when he greeted St. John Paul II on the only previous papal visit to Thailand in 1984. He will also meet Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha and the head of Thailand’s Buddhist community, Supreme Patriarch Somdet Phra Maha Muneewong Ariyavongsagatayana.
In this Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2019, photo, a billboard and a statue of Pope Francis marking his visit to Thailand is displayed at the Saint Louis hospital in Bangkok, Thailand. Pope Francis on Wednesday will arrive in Thailand for the first visit to the Southeast Asian nation by the head of the Roman Catholic Church since John Paul II in 1984. His private meetings will include an audience with 40 sick and disabled people at St. Louis Hospital. (AP PhotoGemunu Amarasinghe)
In this Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2019, photo, school children participate in a dance rehearsal at the Assumption Commercial Collage in Bangkok, Thailand. Catholics play virtually no high-profile role in public affairs, but the church's influence is indirectly extended through the prestigious private schools and colleges it runs in Bangkok, which are attended by the children of the capital's upper middle-class and elite residents. (AP PhotoGemunu Amarasinghe)
In this Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2019, photo, school children participate in a dance rehearsal at the Assumption Commercial Collage in Bangkok, Thailand. Catholics play virtually no high-profile role in public affairs, but the church's influence is indirectly extended through the prestigious private schools and colleges it runs in Bangkok, which are attended by the children of the capital's upper middle-class and elite residents. (AP PhotoGemunu Amarasinghe)
In this Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2019, photo, school children gather to rehearse a dance at the Assumption Commercial Collage in Bangkok, Thailand. Catholics play virtually no high-profile role in public affairs, but the church's influence is indirectly extended through the prestigious private schools and colleges it runs in Bangkok, which are attended by the children of the capital's upper middle-class and elite residents. (AP PhotoGemunu Amarasinghe)
In this Thursday, Nov. 14, 2019, photo, a woman holds a t-shirt among other memorabilia for Pope Francis visit to Thailand at the Assumption Cathedral souvenir shop in Bangkok, Thailand. There are about 388,000 Catholics in Thailand, representing 0.58 percent of the country's 69 million population. (AP PhotoGemunu Amarasinghe)
2. CATHOLICISM HAS HISTORY IN THAILAND. Portuguese-sponsored Dominican missionaries came to Thailand — then called Siam — in 1567, and the church established a formal evangelizing mission in 1669 under the French-led Missions Étrangères de Paris, which would be the main Catholic presence in Southeast Asia for centuries. Catholicism was affected by Thailand’s internal power struggles and colonialism in the region, particularly in World War II, when a nationalistic government sought to convert all Thais to Buddhists. Harmonious relations have been the rule since late King Bhumibol Adulyadej took the throne in 1946.
In this Friday, Oct. 18, 2019, photo, Catholics pray during the 30th anniversary of the beatification of the Seven Martyrs in the Christ Church in Songkhon village, Mukdahan province, northeastern of Thailand. There are about 388,000 Catholics in Thailand, representing 0.58 percent of the country's 69 million population. (AP PhotoSakchai Lalit)
3. CATHOLICS TODAY. The predominantly Buddhist country has about 388,000 Catholics, 0.58% of its 69 million people. Essentially there are two Catholic communities in Thailand: urbanized residents of the capital whose children attend prestigious private schools and colleges run by the church, and less affluent members of ethnic minorities in the northeast and north. Many of the rural Catholic communities include descendants of refugees who fled persecution in Vietnam.
4. THE POPE’S FOCUS. Francis often tailors his messages to the venues where he speaks. He will speak publicly at two Masses, one of them at a stadium before a projected crowd of 50,000 where he will talk about human trafficking and the sexual exploitation of women and children, both of which are longstanding issues in the region. Refugees are another relevant concern he may tackle.
The Rev. Bernardo Cervellera, editor-in-chief of the evangelical news service Asia News, said the pope may also express concerns about materialism, one of his frequent topics, and discuss with his Buddhist counterparts the related issue of secularization.
In this Saturday, Oct. 19, 2019, photo, Catholic devotees pull a pedestal with images of the Seven Martyrs at the Christ Church in the Songkhon village, Mukdahan province, northeastern Thailand. There are about 388,000 Catholics in Thailand, representing 0.58 percent of the country's 69 million population. (AP PhotoSakchai Lalit)
5. HIS MEETINGS. Francis will meet King Maha Vajiralongkorn, who was crown prince when he greeted St. John Paul II on the only previous papal visit to Thailand in 1984. He will also meet Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha and the head of Thailand’s Buddhist community, Supreme Patriarch Somdet Phra Maha Muneewong Ariyavongsagatayana.
His private meetings include an audience with 40 sick and disabled people at Bangkok’s St. Louis Hospital, as well as a meeting with Jesuits working in Thailand. Pope Francis is the first pope from the Jesuit order and makes a point of such meetings during his travels.
In this Nov. 13, 2019, photo, a billboard of Pope Francis marking his visit to Thailand is displayed at Saint Louis hospital in Bangkok, Thailand. Pope Francis on Wednesday will arrive in Thailand for the first visit to the Southeast Asian nation by the head of the Roman Catholic Church since John Paul II in 1984. His private meetings will include an audience with 40 sick and disabled people at St. Louis Hospital. (AP PhotoGemunu Amarasinghe)
In this Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2019, photo, a billboard and a statue of Pope Francis marking his visit to Thailand is displayed at the Saint Louis hospital in Bangkok, Thailand. Pope Francis on Wednesday will arrive in Thailand for the first visit to the Southeast Asian nation by the head of the Roman Catholic Church since John Paul II in 1984. His private meetings will include an audience with 40 sick and disabled people at St. Louis Hospital. (AP PhotoGemunu Amarasinghe)
In this Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2019, photo, school children participate in a dance rehearsal at the Assumption Commercial Collage in Bangkok, Thailand. Catholics play virtually no high-profile role in public affairs, but the church's influence is indirectly extended through the prestigious private schools and colleges it runs in Bangkok, which are attended by the children of the capital's upper middle-class and elite residents. (AP PhotoGemunu Amarasinghe)
In this Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2019, photo, school children participate in a dance rehearsal at the Assumption Commercial Collage in Bangkok, Thailand. Catholics play virtually no high-profile role in public affairs, but the church's influence is indirectly extended through the prestigious private schools and colleges it runs in Bangkok, which are attended by the children of the capital's upper middle-class and elite residents. (AP PhotoGemunu Amarasinghe)
In this Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2019, photo, school children gather to rehearse a dance at the Assumption Commercial Collage in Bangkok, Thailand. Catholics play virtually no high-profile role in public affairs, but the church's influence is indirectly extended through the prestigious private schools and colleges it runs in Bangkok, which are attended by the children of the capital's upper middle-class and elite residents. (AP PhotoGemunu Amarasinghe)
In this Thursday, Nov. 14, 2019, photo, a woman holds a t-shirt among other memorabilia for Pope Francis visit to Thailand at the Assumption Cathedral souvenir shop in Bangkok, Thailand. There are about 388,000 Catholics in Thailand, representing 0.58 percent of the country's 69 million population. (AP PhotoGemunu Amarasinghe)