Pope plans India, Mongolia visits after Lisbon, Marseille

Francis outlined his upcoming itinerary during his flight back to Rome from South Sudan on Sunday.

He confirmed that he will be in Lisbon, Portugal, for World Youth Day in the first week of August and will attend the Mediterranean Bishops’ Meeting in Marseille, France, on 23 September.

He said it was “likely” he would fly from Marseille to Mongolia, a first for a pope.

Looking ahead, Francis said he thought he would visit India in 2024, after plans to visit in 2017 failed.

Francis spoke to reporters after a six-day trip to Congo and South Sudan, where he was joined in South Sudan’s capital, Juba, by Archbishop Justin Welby of Canterbury and Moderator of the Church of Scotland, the Rt. Rev Ian Greenshields.

Catholic, Anglican and Presbyterian leaders made a joint visit to push South Sudan’s political leaders to implement a stalled 2018 peace deal that ended a civil war following the country’s 2011 independence from Sudan. Gave.

Welby and Greenshields joined Francis back on the Pope’s plane and attended his on-air news conference, during which they were asked if they would be willing to join Francis on future visits.

Welby said he would be “happy” if it could be helpful, joking that Papal Airlines was “the best airline I’ve ever flown on.”

Greenshields was also keen but noted that his mandate expires in May.

Pointing to the almost all-male Vatican delegation accompanying Francis on his foreign trips, Greenshields said he would be replaced by “a very capable woman” in the Rev Sally Foster-Fulton, moderator of the Church of Scotland. An American Church of Scotland has ordained women ministers since the 1960s.

“She would be happy to do the same thing,” he said.

The Vatican delegation, composed mostly of cardinals and bishops, has traditionally included only one woman: a protocol specialist in the Vatican Secretariat of State. On this visit, Francis also invited a Congolese nun as his personal guest.