Pope starts Asia tour in Indonesia to promote interfaith dialogue

Pope Francis landed in Indonesia on Tuesday, hoping to celebrate the tradition of interfaith harmony between the country's Catholic community and its Muslim majority.

The pope, who will turn 88 in December, attended the opening ceremony in Jakarta, where two children in traditional clothes handed him a bouquet of vegetables, fruits, spices and flowers.

The visit opens what will be the longest and farthest trip of his pontificate, during which the leader of the Catholic Church will visit Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, East Timor and Singapore.

On Wednesday, the pope will meet with political leaders and members of the Indonesian clergy who are helping to fuel the growth of the Catholic Church in Asia.

The next day, Francis will participate in an interfaith meeting in Jakarta's iconic Istiglal mosque with representatives of the six religions officially recognised in Indonesia.

The mosque sits across a piazza from Jakarta's main Catholic cathedral, Our Lady of Assumption, and is linked to the building underground by the Tunnel of Friendship, which Francis will also visit before signing a declaration with the Grand Imam Nasaruddin Umar.

Francis's trip aims to highlight Indonesia as a country of religious tolerance as the country's moderate nature has been under attack by flare-ups of violent extremism, as in 2021 — when an extremist Islamist couple blew themselves up outside a packed Catholic cathedral on Sulawesi island.

Even though Catholics comprise only 3% of Indonesia’s population, the archipelago is home to Asia's third-largest Christian community, after the Philippines and China.

As a result, thousands are expected to attend Francis’ events this week, which include a Mass on Thursday afternoon at Jakarta’s main stadium expected to draw some 60,000 people. City authorities have urged residents to work from home that day given roadblocks and crowds.

“It is a joy for our country, especially for us Catholics,” said Elisabeth Damanik, a 50-year-old housewife outside a packed Mass on Sunday at Our Lady of the Assumption. “Hopefully, the pope’s visit can build religious tolerance in our beloved country of Indonesia.”

Francis is the third pope to visit Indonesia