The 11-day trip, a signal that Francis does not intend to slow down, requires nearly 45 hours of air travel and meetings in tropical climates.

VATICAN CITY (RNS) — At the age of 87, Pope Francis will embark on an 11-day trip to Southeast Asia that will test both his physical health and the core messages of his pontificate, focusing on the poor, the environment and a Catholic Church at the margins.