Tempo is reporting that Pope Francis arrived at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Jakarta, on Tuesday (3/9/24,) at 11:30 a.m. local time, assisted by the Vatican’s Inter-Religious Dicastery staffer, Markus Solo Kewuta, to start a four-nation tour of the Asia-Pacific that will include Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Timor-Leste, and Singapore.
Cardinal Ignatius Suharyo, Chairman of the Pope’s Arrival Committee, and the Vatican’s Apostolic Nuncio to Indonesia, Piero Pioppo, greeted the Pope, while President Jokowi said before his arrival at the Presidential Palace complex, “I, on behalf of the Indonesian people, warmly welcome and express my gratitude for the visit of His Holiness Pope Francis to Indonesia,” while adding that Indonesia has made all the necessary preparations for the visit, reports Jakarta Globe.
The Pope headed to the Vatican Embassy in Gambir, which is where he will reside during his stay in Indonesia.
The Pope has no official agenda for today. According to Markus, the Pope will rest before commencing his activities in Indonesia from Wednesday to Friday, September 4 to 6, 2024.
Tempo says that the Pope’s journey from Rome’s Leonardo da Vinci International Airport to Jakarta lasted over 17 hours and during the flight he engaged with journalists from various countries who were covering the trip.
According to Jakarta Globe, this will be the third time for Indonesia to host a papal visit. In 1970, then-President Soeharto greeted the visiting Pope Paul VI. Indonesia also had a visit by Pope John Paul II in 1989. Jokowi said he hoped to discuss peace issues including on how to cool down the Russia-Ukraine war and the Gaza crisis.
Aside from meeting President Jokowi, the pope will visit Jakarta Cathedral and Istiqlal Mosque, among other activities. He will also lead a mass at the Gelora Bung Karno stadium.
Source: Jakarta Globe, Tempo, Channel News Asia
Stock image by Annett_Klingner from Pixabay
