Archdiocese of Singapore to archive vestments, other items used by Pope Francis

The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Singapore is to archive vestments worn by Pope Francis for mass on September 12 and other items he used during his visit to the city-state.

According to Ms. Valerie Siew, the spokeswoman for the papal visit organizing committee, we will store any leftover items from the pontiff's three-day visit (September 11–13) in rooms with controlled humidity and temperature, following standard professional procedures.

There are more artefacts utilized by Pope Francis than there were during Pope John Paul II's five-hour visit in 1986, Siew added.

A team of archivists at the chancery, the record-keeping office of the archdiocese, has begun to do the full inventory and assessment.

If the 87-year-old Pope Francis is canonized like his predecessors, his items may become relics or sacred mementoes.

On September 16, the Archdiocese of Singapore gave media members a tour of the pontiff's accommodations at the St. Francis Xavier Retreat Centre in Punggol.

Ms. Helen Seah, the property manager of St. Francis Xavier Retreat Centre, formerly a seminary, reports that the pope did not request any special items during his stay.

The pope's uncomplicated tastes are well known. Upon his appointment in 2013, he opted to relocate to a few simply furnished rooms instead of the opulent official apartments occupied by his predecessors.

He arrived in Singapore driving a Hyundai Ioniq 5, and he used a golf buggy to greet the people.

"He picked this location mainly because it's a basic place," Ms. Siew said of the retreat center, which usually accommodates camp groups from Catholic and Christian backgrounds.

"You could say this is a humble abode in line with his humble nature," she continued.