Pope Francis arrived in Indonesia on Tuesday at the start of a tour of Asia.
After an overnight flight from Rome, the Pope was wheeled off the plane in his wheelchair in Jakarta.
Indonesia is the first stop on a grueling tour for the 87-year-old that will also take him to Papua New Guinea, East Timor and Singapore.
The Pope hopes to promote interfaith harmony between Catholics and Muslims in the country.
The Pope was greeted at the airport in Jakarta by two children wearing traditional clothes who handed him a bouquet of vegetables, fruits, spices and flowers.
Francis will then meet with a group of refugees, migrants and sick people at the Vatican residence in Jakarta later on Tuesday.
The buildings are linked by an underground “Tunnel of Friendship” which Francis will visit with the grand imam, Nasaruddin Umar, before they sign a joint declaration.
“Hopefully the pope’s visit can build religious tolerance in our beloved country of Indonesia.”
That’s why the presence of the Pope can provide a benefit with the discussion of environmental issues,” said government worker Erik Sebastian Naibaho, 26.
Pope Francis didn’t attend a number of events at Easter this year, including the Good Friday Way of the Cross procession in Rome.
Beginning his Asiatic tour on Tuesday, Pope Francis landed in Indonesia.
The Pope arrived in Jakarta in his wheelchair following an overnight flight from Rome.
On a demanding tour that will also take him to Singapore, East Timor, and Papua New Guinea, the 87-year-old is making his first stop in Indonesia.
The country’s interfaith harmony between Catholics and Muslims is something the Pope hopes to advance.
Since Easter, when the Pope chose to forego giving a homily at a last-minute Palm Sunday Mass held in St. Peter’s sq\..
Two young people dressed in traditional attire welcomed the Pope at the Jakarta airport and gave him a bouquet of fruits, vegetables, spices, and flowers.
Later on Tuesday, Francis is scheduled to have a meeting with a group of sick individuals, migrants, and refugees at the Vatican residence in Jakarta.
We are scheduled to visit with the political leaders of the nation on Wednesday and meet with Indonesian clergy who are contributing to the expansion of the Catholic Church in Asia.
“Indonesia and the Vatican have the same commitment to fostering peace and brotherhood, as well as ensuring the welfare of humanity,” said Indonesian President Joko Widodo in a broadcast statement extending his greetings to the pope. “.
The six religions that are formally recognized in Indonesia—Islam, Buddhism, Confucianism, Hinduism, Catholicism, and Protestantism—will be represented in an interfaith gathering that the Pope will attend on Thursday at Jakarta’s Istiqlal mosque.
The largest mosque in Southeast Asia is located directly across from Our Lady of Assumption, the principal Catholic cathedral in the capital, close enough to allow the sound of the Muslim call to prayer to be heard during Mass.
A joint declaration will be signed by Francis and Nasaruddin Umar, the grand imam, after they visit the underground “Tunnel of Friendship” connecting the buildings.
There will be a Mass on Thursday afternoon at Jakarta’s main stadium, which is anticipated to draw about 60,000 people, among the thousands of people expected to attend Francis’ events this week.
“We are happy for our nation, particularly as Catholics,” fifty-year-old Elisabeth Damanik remarked outside a crowded Sunday Mass at Our Lady of the Assumption.
It is hoped that the pope’s visit will increase religious tolerance in Indonesia, our dear nation. “.
There are also expectations that Francis, who is well-known for his support of environmental causes, will address the problem of air pollution in Jakarta, which is brought on by factories, garbage burning, car exhaust, and coal-fired power plants.
Jakarta consistently has air pollution levels eight to nine times higher than those recommended by the WHO.
“There is a concerning amount of pollution in Jakarta. For this reason, having the Pope present can be beneficial when talking about environmental issues, according to 26-year-old government employee Erik Sebastian Naibaho.
This year, Pope Francis stayed away from several Easter-related events, such as Rome’s Good Friday Way of the Cross procession.
A Telegram post five minutes before the procession began, the Vatican announced that he was missing the ceremony in order to “conserve his health.”.
Due to bronchitis, the pontiff needed an assistant to read two speeches he was scheduled to give at the beginning of March.
Before that, on Feb. 24, he called off some of his events due to what the Vatican claimed was a minor flu that required testing later on.
But like his predecessor, Pope Benedict XVI, who became the first to step down from office at the age of 85, the head of the Catholic Church has rejected the idea of leaving the position.
The Associated Press provided reporting for this piece.
