World Courant
JAKARTA, Indonesia — Pope Francis arrived in Indonesia on Tuesday firstly of the longest journey of his preachhoping to encourage the Catholic group and rejoice the custom of interfaith concord in a rustic with the most important Muslim inhabitants on the planet.
After an in a single day flight from Rome, Francis was wheeled off the airplane in his wheelchair and positioned on the tarmac for a welcome ceremony below the perpetually foggy, humid and polluted skies of Jakarta.
Two youngsters in conventional clothes offered him with a bouquet of greens, fruits, herbs and flowers.
Francis had deliberate to relaxation for the remainder of the day, given the pains of an 11-day journey that may zigzag throughout time zones and in addition take him to Papua New Guinea. East Timor and Singapore. Nevertheless, the Vatican mentioned the 87-year-old pope met a gaggle of refugees, migrants and the sick on the Vatican residence in Jakarta.
Exterior the residence he was greeted by supporters wanting to catch a glimpse of the primary pope to go to since St John Paul II in 1989.
“Once I noticed him within the automotive, I used to be so moved, goosebumps,” mentioned Fanfan, a 49-year-old housewife from West Jakarta who goes by one title. “I hope he’ll seem in entrance of me once more and wave his hand.”
Francis’ 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 spice up the expansion of the Catholic Church in Asia.
Indonesian President Joko Widodo welcomed the pope, saying in a press release that “Indonesia and the Vatican share the identical dedication to selling peace and brotherhood, and to making sure the well-being of humanity.”
The spotlight of Francis’ first cease might be his participation in an interfaith gathering on Thursday within the iconic capital of Jakarta. Istiqlal Mosque with representatives of the six religions formally acknowledged in Indonesia: Islam, Buddhism, Confucianism, Hinduism, Catholicism and Protestantism.
The mosque, the most important in Southeast Asia, faces the capital’s foremost Catholic cathedral, Our Girl of the Assumption. The 2 mosques are so shut collectively that the Muslim name to prayer might be heard throughout mass.
Their proximity just isn’t coincidental, however strongly desired as a logo of spiritual freedom and tolerance enshrined in Indonesia’s structure. The buildings are additionally linked by an underground “Tunnel of Friendship” that Francis will go to with the Grand Imam, Nasaruddin Umar, earlier than they signal a joint declaration.
Whereas Francis needs to emphasise 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 Muslim couple blew themselves up exterior a crowded Catholic cathedral on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi throughout a Palm Sunday mass, injuring not less than 20 individuals.
“We’ve got no drawback with the go to. He’s a visitor and we are going to welcome him,” mentioned Eldy, a 64-year-old retired authorities official who makes use of one title and was strolling throughout a car-free day in Jakarta on Sunday. “He needs to go to our Istiqlal Mosque, he can do this.”
Though Catholics make up solely 3% of Indonesia’s inhabitants, the overwhelming majority of Indonesians (275 million) are dwelling to the third-largest Christian group in Asia, after the Philippines and China.
Consequently, 1000’s of individuals are anticipated to end up for Francis’ occasions this week, together with a mass on Thursday afternoon at Jakarta’s foremost stadium that’s anticipated to attract some 60,000 individuals. Metropolis authorities have urged residents to earn a living from home that day due to roadblocks and crowds.
“It’s a pleasure for our nation, particularly for us Catholics,” mentioned Elisabeth Damanik, a 50-year-old housewife exterior a crowded Sunday Mass at Our Girl of the Assumption. “Hopefully the pope’s go to can construct spiritual tolerance in our beloved nation Indonesia.”
Environmental care, battle decision and moral financial improvement are the principle themes of the journey. Francis might tackle these subjects throughout his speech to Indonesian authorities on Wednesday.
Francis has made take care of the atmosphere a trademark of his preach, and he has usually used his overseas visits to emphasize his agenda: the necessity to take care of God’s creation, forestall the exploitation of its pure sources and defend poor individuals who bear the brunt of local weather extremes and air pollution.
In Jakarta, he finds a metropolis of 11.3 million individuals suffocating below grey clouds of air air pollution from coal-fired energy vegetation, car exhaust, waste incineration and factories. Air air pollution in Jakarta is often eight to 9 instances above World Well being Group limits.
“Indonesia has the worst air air pollution in Southeast Asia,” mentioned Piotr Jakubowski, an skilled on air air pollution and co-founder of Indonesian air high quality monitoring firm Nafas. “The pope’s go to is nice as a result of it gives a sounding board … of one other extremely revered world chief.”
The residents additionally hope that Francis will converse out on the problem.
“Air pollution in Jakarta is at an alarming degree. Subsequently, the presence of the pope might be a bonus in discussing environmental points,” mentioned authorities official Erik Sebastian Naibaho, 26.
Francis is the third pope to go to Indonesia, after Pope Paul VI in 1970 and John Paul II in 1989. Their consideration underscores the significance of Indonesia to the Vatican, each when it comes to Christian-Muslim dialogue and Catholic vocations, as it’s dwelling to the the world’s largest seminary and produces lots of of clergymen and nuns yearly.
“Indonesia is attempting to develop within the religion,” mentioned Cardinal Ignatius Suharyo Hardjoatmodjo, the archbishop of Jakarta, whom Francis appointed a cardinal in 2019.
At a briefing final week, he mentioned Francis wished to specific his appreciation for Indonesia’s interfaith custom “and encourage the upkeep and improvement of this type of brotherhood.”
___
Helena Alves contributed from Jakarta.
___
Related Press’s faith protection is supported by the AP Publication cooperation with The Dialog US, with funding from the Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely chargeable for this content material.
