(Jakarta) Pope Francis, 87, appeared in good shape and smiling on his arrival in Indonesia, was officially welcomed Wednesday in Jakarta by the Indonesian president, at the start of a long tour to the far reaches of Asia-Pacific.
To the sound of the honor guard’s fanfare, the Pope was welcomed at the Merdeka presidential palace by outgoing Indonesian President Joko Widodo, with whom he then met privately.
Dozens of children and young people in traditional dress, waving flags of Indonesia and the Vatican, greeted the arrival of Francis, who took part in the protocol game with a military parade and the anthem of the two countries.
The leader of the 1.3 billion Catholics also praised Prabowo Subianto, the current defense minister who will succeed Joko Widodo in October after his election in February.
PHOTO TATAN SYUFLANA, ASSOCIATED PRESS
Pope Francis
At 10:30 a.m. (11:30 p.m. Eastern time), the pope was to deliver his first speech to the country’s authorities, civil society representatives and diplomatic corps, a speech that is generally intended to be more political.
After a 13-hour flight from Rome on Tuesday, Francis was able to enjoy a half-day of rest before embarking on the ballet of meetings and speeches.
The vast archipelago of 17,500 islands is home to the largest Muslim population in the world (242 million, or 87% of the inhabitants), for some eight million Catholics (less than 3%), and interreligious dialogue is the central theme of this stage.
Late in the morning, Jorge Bergoglio will meet privately with members of the Society of Jesus – the Jesuit order to which he belongs – at the apostolic nunciature of the Holy See, the Vatican embassy, a tradition during his trips abroad.
Invigorating contact with the faithful
The Pope arrived in Jakarta on Tuesday morning for the three-day visit, part of a marathon tour of four countries in Southeast Asia and Oceania, initially planned for 2020 but postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
After Paul VI in 1970 and John Paul II in 1989, Francis is the third pope to visit the country, whose capital has put his image in the spotlight, with Vatican flags and welcome posters.
On Wednesday afternoon, he will visit the Notre-Dame de l’Assomption Cathedral, rebuilt at the end of the 19th century after a fire, where he is expected to encourage the local clergy, before ending his day with a meeting with young people from the Scholas Occurrentes network.
This educational movement, initially aimed at children in disadvantaged areas of Buenos Aires, has gradually spread to a global network of schools.
On Thursday, the sovereign pontiff will participate in an interreligious meeting in the presence of representatives of the six official confessions (Islam, Protestantism, Catholicism, Buddhism, Hinduism and Confucianism), the main highlight of this visit.
Francis is then expected in Papua New Guinea on Friday, then in East Timor and Singapore, where he will complete a 32,000 km journey on September 13, the furthest since his election in 2013.
This 45e Traveling abroad is a huge physical challenge for the Argentine Jesuit, who has struggled with health problems in recent years but often appears invigorated by travel and contact with the faithful.