JAKARTA, Indonesia. Pope Francis arrived in Indonesia on Tuesday, marking the beginning of the longest trip of his pontificate. The visit aims to uplift the Catholic community in the world’s most populous Muslim-majority nation and to celebrate Indonesia’s rich tradition of interfaith harmony.
Touching down in Jakarta after an overnight flight from Rome, the 87-year-old pope was welcomed with a ceremonial greeting on the tarmac. Despite Jakarta’s typically humid and polluted skies, Francis smiled warmly as two children dressed in traditional attire presented him with a bouquet of vegetables, fruits, spices, and flowers—a symbol of Indonesia’s agricultural heritage.
While Francis planned to rest for the day due to the grueling 11-day itinerary ahead, the Vatican confirmed that he met with a group of refugees, migrants, and sick individuals at the Vatican residence in Jakarta. Outside, a large crowd of well-wishers gathered, eager to catch a glimpse of the first pope to visit Indonesia since St. John Paul II in 1989.
“When I saw him in the car I was so touched, goosebumps,” shared Fanfan, a 49-year-old housewife from West Jakarta. “I hope he will appear in front of me again to wave his hand.”
Francis’ first full day of activities on Wednesday includes meetings with Indonesian President Joko Widodo and key political leaders, followed by engagements with Indonesian clergy. President Widodo, in a televised statement, expressed his enthusiasm for the visit, saying, “Indonesia and the Vatican share a commitment to fostering peace, brotherhood, and the welfare of humanity.”
The highlight of the pope’s stop in Jakarta will be an interfaith gathering at the iconic Istiqlal Mosque on Thursday. Representatives from Indonesia’s six officially recognized religions—Islam, Buddhism, Confucianism, Hinduism, Catholicism, and Protestantism—will join Francis in a symbolic event emphasizing religious tolerance. The mosque, the largest in Southeast Asia, is located just across from the city’s main Catholic cathedral, Our Lady of Assumption. The two structures are linked by an underground passage called the “Tunnel of Friendship,” which Francis will tour with the mosque’s grand imam, Nasaruddin Umar, before they sign a joint declaration.
While Francis’ visit seeks to highlight Indonesia’s tradition of religious tolerance, recent events have tested this image. In 2021, a militant couple linked to Islamist extremism detonated a bomb outside a packed Catholic cathedral on Sulawesi island during Palm Sunday Mass, injuring at least 20 people.
“We have no problem with the visit. He’s a guest, and we will welcome him,” said Eldy, a 64-year-old retired government worker. “If he wants to visit our Istiqlal mosque, he can do it.”
Despite Catholics constituting only 3% of Indonesia’s 275 million people, the nation still hosts the third-largest Christian community in Asia, after the Philippines and China. The pope’s visit is expected to draw massive crowds, with 60,000 people anticipated at a Mass in Jakarta’s main stadium on Thursday. Authorities have advised residents to work from home that day to avoid congestion and roadblocks.
“It is a joy for our country, especially for us Catholics,” said Elisabeth Damanik, a 50-year-old parishioner at Our Lady of the Assumption. “Hopefully the pope’s visit can build religious tolerance in our beloved Indonesia.”
Environmental concerns are also expected to feature prominently during the pope’s visit. Jakarta, a sprawling metropolis of 11.3 million people, struggles with severe air pollution, often registering levels eight to nine times above World Health Organization limits. The pope, who has made environmental stewardship a key theme of his pontificate, may address these issues in his speeches, including his main address to Indonesian authorities on Wednesday.
“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,” said Erik Sebastian Naibaho, a 26-year-old government worker.
Pope Francis is the third pontiff to visit Indonesia, following Pope Paul VI in 1970 and St. John Paul II in 1989. Cardinal Ignatius Suharyo Hardjoatmodjo, the archbishop of Jakarta, emphasized the significance of the visit: “Indonesia is trying to grow in the faith,” he said, adding that the pope’s visit aims to “express appreciation for Indonesia’s interfaith tradition and encourage this brotherhood to continue to be maintained and developed.”
Si Venus L Peñaflor ay naging editor-in-chief ng Newsworld, isang lokal na pahayagan ng Laguna. Publisher din siya ng Daystar Gazette at Tutubi News Magazine. Siya ay isa ring pintor at doll face designer ng Ninay Dolls, ang unang Manikang Pilipino. Kasali siya sa DesignCrowd sa rank na #305 sa 640,000 graphic designers sa buong daigdig. Kasama din siya sa unang Local TV Broadcast sa Laguna na Beyond Manila. Aktibong kasapi siya ng San Pablo Jaycees Senate bilang isang JCI Senator.
