2024-09-04 01:02:29
Pope Francis today arrived in Jakarta for a three-day visit to Indonesia, dedicated to conducting dialogue between different religions, reported France Press, quoted by BTA. It is the first country of the 87-year-old pontiff’s twelve-day tour of Southeast Asia and Oceania.
The Argentine’s plane took off from Rome and, after a thirteen-hour flight, landed at Sukarno-Hatta airport at 11:16 a.m. local time, AFP journalists who were traveling with him said.
Indonesia is the country in the world with the largest Muslim population – 242 million people, or 87% of the population. About 8 million Catholics also live there, which is less than 3% of the country’s population. The visit will be primarily dedicated to the implementation of dialogue between the two religions – Islam and Christianity. An interfaith meeting will be held on Thursday, attended by representatives of the six denominations recognized by the Indonesian government – Islam, Protestantism, Catholicism, Buddhism, Hinduism and Confucianism.
Tomorrow, the Pope will be solemnly welcomed by Indonesian President Joko Widodo, and after the end of his visit to Indonesia, the pontiff will continue to Papua New Guinea, East Timor and Singapore.
This 12-day tour, which will see the pope travel 32,000 kilometers, is the longest and most distant trip since he was elected head of the Roman Catholic Church in 2013. The trip is an extremely physical challenge for the Argentine Jesuit, who has suffered from health problems.
Francis is the third pope to visit the archipelago of 17,500 islands. This was previously done by Pope Paul VI in 1970 and Pope John Paul II in 1989.
In the polluted and flood-prone metropolis of Jakarta, the pope, who attaches great importance to environmental protection, may once again speak out against global warming.
Thursday’s interfaith meeting is expected to be held at Southeast Asia’s largest mosque, Istiklal, which is located next to Assumption Cathedral. In 2020, authorities ordered the construction of a “friendship tunnel” to connects the two buildings as a sign of religious friendship.
Security has been beefed up in Jakarta, with around 4,000 security personnel deployed, including snipers, soldiers, police, and the Pope’s personal security team.