The Pope left Rome for the long journey to Jakarta. Tomorrow he will rest at the nunciature; on 4 September there will be an official reception at the presidential palace. Joko Widodo: “Francis is a great global leader, we will also talk about Ukraine and Gaza.” The expectation is for the meeting with the Grand Imam Nazaruddin Umar with whom the Pope will sign a joint declaration after having walked through the tunnel that connects the mosque to the cathedral.
Jakarta () – Pope Francis boarded a plane in Rome this afternoon to begin his apostolic journey that will take him to Asia and Oceania until 13 September, with stops in Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, East Timor and Singapore. After a flight of more than 13 hours, he will arrive tomorrow at around 11.30 local time at the Sukarno-Hatta International Airport in Jakarta, where he will be received, on behalf of the government, by the Minister of Religious Affairs. From there, he will go directly to the apostolic nunciature to rest for the rest of the day. The first official activity in Indonesia will be a courtesy visit to President Joko Widodo, on the morning of 4 September at the presidential palace, located in the central Merdeka Square, the same place where the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption and the Istiqlal mosque, the largest in Southeast Asia, are located.
Indonesia is eagerly awaiting the arrival of Francis. Speaking to local media during his visit to a project in Tasikmalaya, West Java province, President Jokowi himself confirmed a few days ago the relevance of the visit for the entire country. “It is not only the visit of the top leader of the Catholic Church, but also of a figure of great relevance, internationally recognized. In the one-hour meeting on September 4, we will discuss global issues,” he said, referring specifically to the wars in Ukraine and the Gaza Strip. “In my opinion, these hot topics are the most important and urgent,” he added. “However, some violent and less serious political issues in other countries have also become concerns that we share, and they need our attention.” It is not yet clear what role President-elect Prabowo Subianto, who will take office in a few weeks, will play in these talks.
Joko Widodo has also expressed his desire to personally accompany Pope Francis on September 5 during the long-awaited visit to the Istiqlal Mosque – which the pontiff will enter through the friendship tunnel that connects it to the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption – where he will sign with Grand Imam Nazaruddin Umar a joint declaration inspired by the Abu Dhabi document on Human Fraternity. “The tunnel that connects the Jakarta Cathedral and the Istiqlal Mosque – explains to The president of the Episcopal Conference, Msgr. Antonius Subianto Bunjamin, is significant for Indonesia because it is the symbol of a life of harmony and tolerance in the acceptance of differences.”
This spirit of great acceptance is also confirmed by Sr. Wilma, a Carmelite missionary from Kerala, who has been living her ministry as a formator of her congregation in Kupang, on the island of Flores, the area where the Catholic presence is strongest, since 2016. “Here, people love religious people very much and show particular hospitality to foreigners. I have learned many beautiful things from these people who live the faith, simple people, very respectful, who live in harmony with their brothers of other religions.”
President Joko Widodo himself said he also wanted to participate in the Mass that Pope Francis will preside over at the “Bung Karno” stadium accompanied by 60 bishops, dozens of Indonesian and foreign cardinals and 800 priests. About 88,000 Catholics from all over the country will attend the celebration, while many thousands more will join virtually through online media platforms and at Eucharistic celebrations that will be held in parishes. As Pope Francis will only stop in Jakarta, some Indonesian Catholics will also travel to Dili, in East Timor, where the Pope will preside over the Eucharist on Sunday, September 8.
The country’s media are also very attentive to the Pope’s visit, and not only with regard to the issue of good relations between Christians and Muslims. In a comment which was published today, the Jakarta Post invites us to consider the Pope’s visit as an opportunity to reflect on the political fibrillations that have shaken the country in recent weeks. “Pope Francis’ visit to Indonesia – says the daily in Indonesian
English from Jakarta – it could not come at a better time, after a tumultuous period during which the country once again stood up against the attempt by those in power to bury democracy. Naturally, the Pope will not speak on the issue of the democratic regression that Indonesia and its people are suffering; nor does he intend to address the environmental and humanitarian disasters that afflict the country due to the excessive exploitation of natural resources and rampant corruption. But his visit clearly expresses his position in support of the values of democracy and human rights, which know no national or religious boundaries.
The editorial specifically cites the harsh words that Francis spoke on the occasion of the recent elections to the European Parliament about populism and the fact that democracy is not in good health in today’s world. “Although he was not referring to any particular region of the world,” the editorial comments, “he was not referring to any particular region of the world.” Jakarta Post – Indonesian democracy has certainly been ailing in recent years; the political establishment has crushed popular opposition with controversial bills aimed at strengthening the power of oligarchies.
(with the collaboration of Mathias Hariyadi and Nirmala Carvalho)
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