Pope Francis is scheduled to visit Thailand from 20 to 23 November, after which he proceeds to Japan, 23 to 26 November, before returning to Rome.

This will be the second visit of a Pontiff to Thailand in over 35 years, after that of Pope Saint John Paul II in 1984. The motto of the Journey, “Christ’s Disciples, Missionary Disciples,” recalls the 350th anniversary of the establishment of the Apostolic Vicariate of Siam, created in 1669, that formally marked the beginning of the Church in the country.

Catholics form a tiny minority of some 0.5% of Thailand’s over 68 million population, over 90% of which is Buddhist. Muslims form a little over 4% and Christians together make up only 1%. Through the past 350 years, the Church has grown into 11 dioceses with about 390,000 Catholics.