He Pope Francis arrived this Tuesday at Indonesia – the country with the largest Muslim population of the world – at the start of a demanding tour of Southeast Asia and Oceania. It will be the longest to date undertaken by the Argentine pontiff of 87 years old.
Francis will be received at the presidential palace by outgoing Indonesian President Joko Widodo on Wednesday. Earlier, the Indonesian leader described this visit as “historical” and stated that “Indonesia and the Vatican They have a similar commitment to peace and brotherhood.”
The start of the tour in Asia and Oceania
The papal plane took off from Rome on Monday afternoon and, after a 13-hour flight, landed at 11:16 a.m. in Jakarta, Indonesia, the first stop on a trip that will also take him to Papua New Guinea, East Timor and SingaporeThe pontiff, who will spend Tuesday resting, disembarked from the aircraft in wheelchair and was greeted by a guard of honor, Indonesian senior officials and two children with a bouquet of flowers.
“I thank you for coming on this trip, thank you for the company. I think it is one of the longest flights I have ever made,” Francis told reporters during the flight. 32,000 kilometers to travel in 12 daysthe tour is the longest and most distant of his eleven years of papacy and a physical challenge for Francis’ fragile health, which, however, in recent weeks has shown itself to be in apparent good shape.
Francis’ agenda includes a meeting with Wikodo on Wednesday. Then, on Thursday, there will be a meeting with interfaith meetingwith representatives of the six religions in the Istiglal Mosquethe largest in Southeast Asia.
Indonesia It is the fourth most populous country in the worldbut only one 3% of the population (about 8 million people) professes the catholic faithagainst 87% (242 million) of Muslims. However, Catholicism is one of the six recognized religions in this secular country along with Protestantism, Buddhism, Hinduism and Confucianism.
Although Indonesia officially recognises other religions, some minorities complain of growing discrimination against them. Local Christians hope the Pope will address this thorny issue.
During the meeting at the mosque, the Pope will sign a joint declaration with the Grand Imam, Nasaruddin Umarwhich will denounce the “dehumanization” caused by the violence and conflict and environmental degradationaccording to the Indonesian Bishops’ Conference. During his papacy, Francis repeatedly called for efforts to combat climate change and mitigate its effects.
The three-day visit will include a extensive security device. They will be deployed More than 4,000 agents between soldiers, police and members of the presidential guard.
According to the Ministry of Religious Affairs of the country, the visit symbolizes the confessional diversity of the Southeast Asian country. “It is very important to send a message and show the world that religious harmony in Indonesia is guaranteed“a ministry spokesman told state news agency Antara.
The health of Pope Francis
Francis’ 45th trip was scheduled for 2020 but it was postponed in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic. Until a few weeks ago, doubts persisted in the corridors of the Vatican as to whether the 87-year-old Argentine’s health would allow him to undertake such a tour.
The pontiff usually uses a wheelchair to get around. It should be noted that the Argentine underwent a major abdominal surgery in 2023 and suffered several respiratory infections since then that forced him to cancel his trip to COP28 in Dubai.
6XNEFQXQXOPWIKKK4VPSOHHO4A.avif
Reuters
“The Pope always thinks that we must go a little further,” “He feels capable of making this trip this year,” said a senior Vatican diplomat. “Next year, he will not be so sure,” he said.
Francis’ last trip had been to Marseille in September 2023. Given the improvement of his health in recent hours, the Argentine made the decision to make the trip, which will see him travel more than 32,000 kilometers in just 12 days.
The Pope normally travels with a personal doctor and a nurse, but “nothing new” is expected on this trip, a Vatican source said.His general condition is good, there were no alerts this summer.“, he assured.
Source: Ambito
I am an author and journalist who has worked in the entertainment industry for over a decade. I currently work as a news editor at a major news website, and my focus is on covering the latest trends in entertainment. I also write occasional pieces for other outlets, and have authored two books about the entertainment industry.
