BANGKOK -- Pope Francis, the leader of the world's 1.2 billion Catholics, this week hopes to put his stamp on Asia.
The pope's six-day trip to Sri Lanka and the Philippines aims to convey the church's message to billions of potential converts. Asia today is home to 140 million Catholics. There are an estimated 73 million Catholics in the Philippines. East Timor and the Philippines are the only Asian countries with Catholic majorities.
