Pope Francis leaves on Monday for a visit to four island nations across southeast Asia, an ambitious trip to urge global action on climate change that may test the strength of the 87-year-old head of the global Catholic Church.
Over 12 days from Sept. 2-13, Francis will travel nearly 33,000 kilometers (20,500 miles) to visit Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, East Timor and Singapore.
It is the longest trip yet by the pontiff, who now regularly uses a wheelchair due to knee and back pain.
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