Francis landed in Indonesia on Tuesday hoping to celebrate the tradition of interfaith harmony between the country’s Catholic community and the Muslim majority. The visit opens what will be the longest and most distant trip of his pontificate.
Francisco landed in Indonesia on Tuesday hoping to celebrate the tradition of interfaith harmony between the country’s Catholic community and the Muslim majority.
The visit opens what will be the longest and furthest journey of his pontificateduring which the pope will visit Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, East Timor and Singapore.
The pope, who will turn 88 in December, was taken off the plane in his wheelchair for an opening ceremony in Jakarta, where two children dressed in traditional clothing presented him with a bouquet of vegetables, fruits, spices and flowers.
On Wednesday, Francis will meet with Indonesian political leaders and clergy members who are helping to fuel the growth of the Catholic Church in Asia.
Francis will participate in an interreligious meeting in the iconic Jakarta Istiglal Mosque with representatives of the six officially recognized religions in Indonesia.
The mosque is located in front of Jakarta’s main Catholic cathedral, Our Lady of the Assumption, and are linked underground by the “Friendship Tunnel“, which Francis will also visit before signing a declaration with the great imam Nasaruddin Umar.
Promotion of religious tolerance
Francis’ trip aims to highlight Indonesia as a country of religious toleranceas the country’s image as a moderate Muslim nation has been undermined by outbreaks of religious intolerance like in 2021, when a militant Islamic couple immolated themselves in front of a Catholic cathedral crowded on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi.
Although Catholics make up only 3% of Indonesia’s populationthe archipelago is home to the third largest Christian community in Asia, after the Philippines and China.
As a result, thousands of people are expected to attend the events of Francisco this week, including a Thursday afternoon mass at Jakarta’s main stadium that is expected to draw about 60.000 personas. City officials have urged residents to work from home that day due to lockdowns and crowds
Francisco is the third pope to visit Indonesia after Paul VI in 1970 and John Paul II in 1989. The visits of several popes underline the importance of Indonesia to the Vatican, both in terms of its great Catholic vocation and as a place of Christian-Muslim dialogue.
