JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — Pope Francis urged Indonesia to live up to its promise of “harmony in diversity” and fight religious intolerance on Wednesday, as he set a rigorous pace for an 11-day, four-nation trip through tropical Southeast Asia and Oceania that will test his stamina and health.
Cannons boomed as Francis joined Widodo on the veranda of the palace along with President-elect Prabowo Subianto.
A marching band, stiff-legged troops and children in traditional Indonesian dress welcomed the first pope to visit in 35 years.
In his remarks to the Indonesian authorities, Francis compared the country’s human diversity with the archipelago’s 17,000 islands.
Farther afield, Indonesia has long been a strong supporter of Palestinians and the government has regularly condemned Israel’s war in Gaza.
Widodo thanked Francis for the Vatican’s support of Palestinians since the start of the war.
In a statement, Amnesty noted that from January 2021 to July 2024, there were at least 123 cases of intolerance, including rejection, closure or destruction of places of worship and physical attacks.
“The pope’s visit has an important role to play in encouraging Indonesia to end intolerance and discrimination against all minority groups.
Freedom of religion is a right protected by the Indonesian Constitution,” said Usman Hamid, executive director of Amnesty International Indonesia.
According to Vatican statistics as of Dec. 31, 2022, the last year for which data is available, there were 5,903 Catholic priests in Indonesia for a population of 8.29 million Catholics.
Ahead of his 11-day, four-nation journey through tropical Southeast Asia and Oceania, which will put his health and stamina to the test, Pope Francis urged Indonesia on Wednesday to fight religious intolerance and live up to its promise of “harmony in diversity.”.
After meeting at the presidential palace with outgoing President Joko Widodo and other Indonesian officials, Francis spent his first full day in Indonesia attending events. In the afternoon, he welcomed Catholic priests, nuns, and seminarians at Jakarta’s main cathedral.
As Francis and President-elect Prabowo Subianto stepped onto the palace veranda alongside Widodo, cannons blasted. The first pope to visit in 35 years was greeted by a marching band, stiff-legged soldiers, and children dressed in traditional Indonesian garb.
Francis compared Indonesia’s human diversity to the 17,000 islands in the archipelago in remarks he made to the country’s authorities. According to him, each tile makes a unique contribution that together creates “a magnificent mosaic, in which each tile is an irreplaceable element in creating a great original and precious work.”. “.
But Francis issued a warning, saying that this kind of diversity can also lead to conflict. It seemed to allude to instances of intolerance that have erupted in Indonesia in recent years as well as a more general worry about conflicts that are raging globally.
“It is imperative that we consistently guard against imbalances by maintaining this wise and delicate balance between the diversity of cultures and ideologies and the values that uphold unity,” stated Francis. He told Widodo that the Catholic Church was committed to promoting interreligious dialogue, but he also stated that political leaders had a specific role to play.
“This is essential for addressing common issues, such as combating extremism and intolerance, which try to impose their beliefs through violence and deceitful interpretations of religion. “.
More than 700,000 Rohingya have been forced to flee violent, overcrowded camps in Myanmar due to internal conflict. From Bangladesh, thousands have fled to countries like Indonesia. In an indication that he supports welcoming rather than rejecting refugees, Francis met with at least one Rohingya refugee upon his arrival at the Vatican’s residence on Tuesday.
Further afield, Indonesia has consistently denounced Israel’s war in Gaza and has long been a staunch ally of the Palestinian people. Widodo expressed gratitude to Francis for the Vatican’s support of Palestinians ever since the conflict began.
The common people will only suffer and be miserable as a result of war, according to Widodo. Consequently, let’s rejoice in our differences. In order to achieve peace and create a better world for all people, let us embrace one another and grow in our tolerance. “.
With his numerous health issues, Francis started the longest, most difficult, and farthest trip of his pontificate on Tuesday when he arrived in Jakarta. Currently 87 years old, he has undergone numerous surgeries for intestinal issues, is dependent on a wheelchair, and frequently contracts bronchitis.
By the time the journey ends on Sept. 13. Francis’s journey to Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, East Timor, and Singapore will have involved flying 32,814 kilometers (20,390 miles), making it one of the longest trips the pope has ever taken in terms of days spent on the road and total distance traveled.
While attempting to foster closer ties with the nation that is home to the largest Muslim population, Francis will be working to support the Catholic community in Indonesia, which accounts for just 3% of the country’s 275 million inhabitants.
Francis’s first stop will be capped off by his attendance on Thursday at an interfaith gathering with representatives of the six officially recognized religions in Indonesia: Buddhism, Confucianism, Islam, Hinduism, Catholicism, and Protestantism. The gathering will take place in Jakarta’s famous Istiqlal mosque.
Although Indonesia has a long history of religious tolerance, incidents of intolerance have damaged the country’s reputation as a moderate Muslim nation, something Francis will likely want to emphasize. At least 20 people were hurt when a militant Islamic couple detonated themselves outside a crowded Catholic cathedral on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi during Palm Sunday Mass in 2021.
Amnesty International expressed hope that Francis’s visit would help put an end to acts of intolerance and discrimination against minority groups and genuinely advance respect for religious freedom, which is guaranteed by the nation’s constitution.
Amnesty International said in a statement that between January 2021 and July 2024, there were at least 123 instances of intolerance, including physical attacks, rejection, and the closing or destruction of places of worship. According to reports, the offenders were from a variety of backgrounds, including locals, elected officials, and community organizations.
The papal journey holds significant value in motivating Indonesia to eradicate bigotry and prejudice towards any minority community. The Indonesian Constitution guarantees the right to freedom of religion, according to Usman Hamid, executive director of Amnesty International Indonesia.
As part of his customary pep talk to the neighborhood church, Francis meets with Indonesian clergy and nuns in the afternoon at Jakarta’s Our Lady of the Assumption Cathedral. The largest Catholic seminary in the world is located in Indonesia, which has long been a major supplier of priests and nuns to the Catholic Church, despite the fact that the number of these religious workers is currently not increasing at the same rate as the total number of Catholics.
In terms of the number of baptized faithful as well as the number of men and women choosing to become priests or nuns, Asia and Africa have long been considered the Catholic Church’s future. While the number of Catholics and those entering religious life has been steadily declining in long-standing Catholic strongholds like Europe and the Americas, the number is increasing in Asia.
While Indonesia can never hope to match India or the predominantly Catholic Philippines in terms of the total number of baptized Catholics or priests, the number of men pursuing priesthood studies is still rising, while the number of seminarians in Asia as a whole has begun to plateau or even decline in recent years.
As per Vatican data as of December. There were 5,903 Catholic priests serving 8,point29 million Catholics in Indonesia as of December 31, 2022, the most recent year for which statistics are available. Indonesia has continued to add seminarians, with 4,024 in 2022 compared to 3,777 in 2017, despite a decline in the number of seminarians pursuing the priesthood throughout Asia since 2017. This decline includes the Philippines and India.
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