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Darius von Guttner Sporzynski, Historian, Australian Catholic University

Popes were once confined to Rome. Now they travel the world – and Francis’ current journey is particularly significant

Pope Francis is continuing the tradition of papal journeys, having embarked on the longest trip of his papacy yet to Asia and the Pacific.

In recent decades, apostolic journeys have emerged as a powerful tool of global diplomacy and pastoral outreach – and to meet the needs of a increasingly connected yet fractured world. But this wasn’t always the case. In fact, there was a time when popes were largely confined to Rome.

The birth of the apostolic journey

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