Pope marvels at Singapore’s skyscrapers and asks that the lowest migrant workers not be forgotten

SINGAPORE (AP) — Pope Francis on Thursday praised Singapore’s economic strength as a testament to human ingenuity but urged the city-state to look after the weakest, too, especially foreign workers, as he opened the final leg of his tour through some of Asia’s poorest countries in one of the world’s richest.

Singapore celebrated his arrival by unveiling a new hybrid orchid named for him, the “Dendrobium His Holiness Pope Francis.” Presented during an official welcome ceremony, the orchid “exudes a serene and pure beauty” of ivory white petals with a pink tinge at the center, according to the National Parks Board.

Francis arrived in Singapore from East Timor and began his official program Thursday by meeting with President Tharman Shanmugaratnam and Prime Minister Lawrence Wong before addressing government authorities and the diplomatic corps at the National University of Singapore.

There, Francis marveled at Singapore’s modern skyscrapers “that seem to rise from the sea” and the government’s commitment to providing public housing and quality education and health care to its people. But he urged authorities to beware of rewarding excellence at all costs, a reference to Singapore’s highly competitive work and educational culture.

“I would like to highlight the risk entailed in focusing solely on pragmatism or placing merit above all things, namely the unintended consequence of justifying the exclusion of those on the margins from benefiting from progress,” he said.

In a common appeal from history’s first Latin American pope, Francis called especially for dignified pay and conditions for migrant workers, who have helped build Singapore into one of the world’s most advanced economic powerhouses.

“These workers contribute a