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Although today is a day of rest after the long flight, Pope Francis, who is in a wheelchair due to health problems, took advantage of his visit to the nunciature in Jakarta to greet a group of refugees, orphans and homeless people.
Pope Francis landed on Tuesday in Jakarta , the capital of the country with the largest number of Muslims in the world, the first destination of his tour of Asia , which will also take him to Papua New Guinea, East Timor and Singapore until September 13, his longest trip to date.
The Ita Airways flight carrying the Pope, the Vatican delegation and 75 journalists landed at Jakarta International Airport shortly before 11:30 a.m. local time on Tuesday (04:30 GMT) after a 13-hour flight.
The 87-year-old pope was greeted at the airport by Indonesia’s religious affairs minister , Yaqut Cholil Qoumas, and will rest for the rest of the day to rest from the flight and get used to the time difference.
“We hope that he will witness how we care for diversity in Indonesia,” the Indonesian minister said in a statement, in which he also stressed the importance of the interfaith “dialogue” that the pontiff is championing on this trip.
Although today is a day of rest after the long flight, the Pope, who is in a wheelchair due to health problems, took advantage of his visit to the nunciature in Jakarta to greet a group of refugees, orphans and homeless people taken in by various religious orders.
Indonesian President Joko Widodo welcomed Pope Francis on a visit he described as “very historic,” following those of his successors Paul VI in 1970 and John Paul II in 1989.
“Indonesia and the Vatican have the same goal of promoting peace and brotherhood as well as ensuring prosperity,” Widodo said in a televised address.
Pope’s security
Some 4,300 soldiers and 4,700 police officers, as well as snipers, will ensure the Pope’s safety during various events in the Asian archipelago between September 3 and 6, according to Indonesian authorities.
The top Catholic representative will also be accompanied by members of the Swiss Guard from the Vatican.
The pontiff is expected to highlight dialogue with Islam and religions in the archipelago, as well as the fight against climate change.
On Wednesday, Francis will meet with outgoing President Joko Widodo, with religious leaders at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption in Jakarta and with young people from the Scholas Occurrentes foundation.
The following day, he will take part in an interfaith event at the Istiqlal Mosque in Jakarta and offer a mass at the Gelora Bung Karno Stadium, which is expected to be attended by 80,000 people, among other events.
Catholics make up just 3.1 percent of Indonesia’s 270 million people, but that still makes up the third-largest Catholic population in Asia after the Philippines and China, while Muslims make up 89.4 percent.
Indonesia , which generally practices a moderate form of Islam, has seen a rise in the influence of radical groups in the past two decades, although they have been less active in recent years.
Francis will continue his Asian tour to Papua New Guinea, East Timor and Singapore until September 13, the longest trip of his papacy.
