Pope opens Asia odyssey in Indonesia to rally Catholics, hail non secular tolerance

JAKARTA, Indonesia — Pope Francis arrived in Indonesia on Tuesday at the beginning of the longest journey of his preach, hoping to encourage its Catholic group and have fun the custom of interfaith concord in a rustic with the world’s largest Muslim inhabitants.

After an in a single day flight from Rome, Francis was wheeled off the aircraft in his wheelchair and onto the tarmac for a welcoming ceremony below Jakarta’s perennial hazy, humid and polluted skies.

Two youngsters carrying conventional garments handed him a bouquet of greens, fruits, spices and flowers.

Francis deliberate to relaxation for the rest of the day, given the trials of an 11-day voyage zigzagging throughout time zones that may even take him to Papua New Guinea, East Timor and Singapore. Nonetheless, the Vatican stated the 87-year-old pope would meet later Tuesday with a gaggle of refugees, migrants and sick individuals on the Vatican residence in Jakarta.

His first full day of actions begins Wednesday with visits to the nation’s political leaders and conferences with Indonesian clergy who’re serving to to gas the expansion of the Catholic Church in Asia.

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Indonesian President Joko Widodo welcomed the pope, saying in a broadcast assertion that “Indonesia and the Vatican have the same commitment to fostering peace and brotherhood, as well as ensuring the welfare of humanity.”

The spotlight of Francis’ first cease can be his participation Thursday in an interfaith assembly in Jakarta’s iconic Istiqlal mosque with representatives of the six religions which can be formally acknowledged in Indonesia: Islam, Buddhism, Confucianism, Hinduism, Catholicism and Protestantism.

The mosque, the biggest in Southeast Asia, sits throughout a piazza from the capital’s fundamental Catholic cathedral, Our Girl of Assumption, and the 2 are so shut to every one other that the Muslim name to prayer could be heard throughout Mass.

Their proximity just isn’t coincidental, however strongly willed as a logo of spiritual freedom and tolerance that’s enshrined in Indonesia’s Structure. The buildings are additionally linked by an underground “Tunnel of Friendship” which Francis will go to with the grand imam, Nasaruddin Umar, earlier than they signal a joint declaration.

Whereas Francis will wish to spotlight Indonesia’s custom of spiritual tolerance, the nation’s picture as a reasonable Muslim nation has been undermined by flare-ups of intolerance. In 2021, a militant Islamic couple blew themselves up exterior a packed Catholic cathedral on Indonesia’s Sulawesi island throughout a Palm Sunday Mass, injuring not less than 20 individuals.

“We have no problem with the visit. He’s a guest and we will welcome him,” stated Eldy, a 64-year-old retired authorities employee who makes use of one identify and was out strolling throughout a car-free day in Jakarta on Sunday. “He wants to visit our Istiqlal mosque, he can do it.”

Despite the fact that Catholics make up solely 3% of Indonesia’s inhabitants, the sheer variety of Indonesians — 275 million — makes the archipelago dwelling to the third-largest Christian group in Asia, after the Philippines and China.

Consequently, hundreds are anticipated to throng to Francis’ occasions this week, which embrace a Mass on Thursday afternoon at Jakarta’s fundamental stadium anticipated to attract some 60,000 individuals. Metropolis authorities have urged residents to work at home that day given roadblocks and crowds.

“It is a joy for our country, especially for us Catholics,” stated Elisabeth Damanik, a 50-year-old housewife exterior a packed Mass on Sunday at Our Girl of the Assumption. “Hopefully the pope’s visit can build religious tolerance in our beloved country of Indonesia.”

Take care of the surroundings, battle decision and ethically minded financial growth are the main themes for the journey, and Francis might contact on them throughout his fundamental speech to Indonesian authorities on Wednesday.

Francis has made caring for the surroundings a trademark of his preach and has usually used his overseas visits to press his agenda on the necessity to look after God’s creation, stop exploitation of its pure sources and shield poor people who find themselves bearing the brunt of local weather extremes and air pollution.

In Jakarta, he’ll discover a metropolis of 11.3 million individuals choking below grey clouds of air air pollution brought on by coal-fired energy vegetation, car exhaust, trash burning and factories. Jakarta’s air air pollution usually registers eight to 9 occasions above World Well being Group limits.

“Indonesia has the worst air pollution in Southeast Asia,” stated Piotr Jakubowski, an air air pollution professional and co-founder of Indonesian air high quality monitoring firm Nafas. “The visit of the pope is great because it provides a sounding board … from another, very well-respected world leader.”

Residents, too, hope Francis will speak out about the issue.

“The pollution in Jakarta is at an alarming level. That’s why the presence of the pope can provide a benefit with the discussion of environmental issues,” stated authorities employee Erik Sebastian Naibaho, 26.

Francis is the third pope to go to Indonesia after Pope Paul VI in 1970 and St. John Paul II in 1989. Their consideration underscores Indonesia’s significance to the Vatican each when it comes to Christian-Muslim dialogue and Catholic vocations, since it’s dwelling to the world’s largest seminary and produces tons of of monks and different non secular employees a yr.

“Indonesia is trying to grow in the faith,” stated Cardinal Ignatius Suharyo Hardjoatmodjo, the archbishop of Jakarta whom Francis made a cardinal in 2019.

At a briefing final week, he stated Francis wished to precise his appreciation for Indonesia’s interfaith custom “and encourage this sort of brotherhood to proceed to be maintained and developed.