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I followed with much interest the recent Asia-Pacific trip by Pope Francis, the head of the Catholic Church, which included his visit to Singapore from Sept 11 to 13. I was touched by his messages which called for humility, love, harmony, religious tolerance, dignity and respect ( , Sept 12). These values, especially respect, in particular, for the marginalised such as the poor, the disabled and migrant workers, touched me. Scenes of the Pope reaching out and touching outstretched hands as well as blessing and praying over those who turned up to see him on his arrival at Changi Airport and at the papal mass were palpable signs of Pope Francis’ kindness, humility and love for people. A non-Christian friend of mine shared with me his admiration for the Pope: “The Pope is a universal leader who advocates unity, harmony, humility and respect which we, as individuals and world leaders, should reflect on and work on in our daily lives to build a better community and a better world.”