Pope Francis arrives in Indonesia, the first leg of his longest trip ever

 

Jakarta, Indonesia, Sep 3, 2024 / 08:30 am (CNA).

Pope Francis arrived Tuesday in the Indonesian capital of Jakarta, the first stop in the pope’s four-country tour of Southeast Asia and Oceania. The trip is expected to be the longest and most challenging international voyage of his pontificate to date.

After a more than 13-hour overnight flight, the 87-year-old pope disembarked from the airplane with the aid of an ambulift and a wheelchair for the official welcome ceremony on the tarmac, which included an honor guard salute, greetings from the Indonesian religious affairs minister, and a traditional bouquet from two children.

The chartered ITA Airways flight, often called “the papal plane,” traversed 7,055 miles, passing over the Iranian capital of Tehran, before touching down at Jakarta’s Soekarno-Hatta International Airport at 11:18 am local time.

It is the first of seven flights of the pope’s 11-day journey. He will fly a staggering 20,000 miles roundtrip to visit Catholic communities in Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, East Timor, and Singapore from Sept. 2-13.

The pope’s tour of Southeast Asia and Oceania is his first international journey of the year, following a period of slowed travel due to his age and health issues.

Pope Francis, who will turn 88 in December, is traveling with his medical team of a doctor and two nurses. In addition, the pope’s secretaries are also traveling with him to Asia to provide extra support, which is a novelty for this trip.

Archbishop Piero Pioppo, the apostolic nuncio (Vatican ambassador) to Indonesia, welcomed Pope Francis on the tarmac on the hazy and humid Jakarta morning.

Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, Pro-Prefect of the Dicastery for Evangelization, Archbishop Edgar Pena Parra, Substitute of the Secretariat of State, and Archbishop Paul Gallagher, Secretary for Relations with States, all stepped off the papal plane at the start of the welcome ceremony.

Muslim leaders also offered welcome messages to the pope. Sheikh Yahya Cholil Staquf, the general chairman of Nahdlatul Ulama, the world’s largest independent Muslim organization, welcomed Pope Francis’s visit, saying, “Enjoy the country of unity, the country of tolerance and brotherhood.”

Indonesia is home to the largest Muslim population in the world. The country’s 229 million Muslims make up more than 12% of the global Muslim population. Nearly all of Indonesia’s Muslims are Sunni.

Local media in Jakarta noted that Pope Francis opted not to use a luxury car during his time in Indonesia. Instead, he chose a Toyota Innova, a vehicle commonly used by Indonesians.

Upon the pope’s arrival at Jakarta’s Apostolic Nunciature, where he will be staying during his time in the country, the pope greeted refugees cared for by Jesuit Refugee Service, orphaned children raised by Dominican nuns, and the elderly and homeless accompanied by the Catholic Community of Sant’Egidio in Indonesia.

Pope Francis then retired to spend the remainder of the day resting before a packed schedule in Jakarta.

During his stay, Pope Francis is scheduled to meet with President Joko Widodo at the Presidential Palace, participate in an interfaith meeting at the largest mosque in Southeast Asia, and meet with local Catholics in Jakarta Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption.

Cardinal Ignatius Suharyo, the archbishop of Jakarta, said that “the highlight of the visit” will be Pope Francis’ stadium Mass, expected to draw around 70,000 people.

In Indonesia, Pope Francis can expect to find a vibrant faith, Father Thomas Ulun Ismoyo, deputy secretary for the Archdiocese of Jakarta, told EWTN News.

“If you come and visit Indonesia’s Catholic churches on Sunday, the church is packed,” he said.

For Baso Darmawan, a local Catholic, the pope’s presence in his country will be “a blessing for Indonesia.”

“Parishioners throughout Indonesia every Sunday have been praying together for the past few months that the Pope will be blessed with adequate health to carry out his Apostolic Visit to four countries located very far from the Vatican,” Cardinal Suharyo said.