On Sept. 3, Pope Francis arrived in Indonesia to begin a 12-day Apostolic Journey to Asia and Oceania. Traveling more than 20,000 miles to Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Timor-Leste, and Singapore, the Holy Father’s 45th Apostolic Journey abroad is the farthest and longest of his pontificate.
Pope Francis’s first leg of the journey began in Jakarta, Indonesia, a nation comprised of nearly 17,500 islands that is home to more than 1,300 ethnic groups who speak approximately 719 languages.
On Sept. 4, following a visit with outgoing President Joko Widodo, Pope Francis referenced Indonesia’s national motto, which translates to “Many but One,” in his first public address.
Speaking to authorities, and members of civil society and the diplomatic corps in the Istana Negara Presidential Palace Hall, Pope Francis said, “[Y]our specific differences similarly contribute to forming a magnificent mosaic,” but, he warned, “This wise and delicate balance, between the multiplicity of cultures and different ideological visions, and the ideals that cement unity, must be continuously defended against imbalances.”
After his address, Pope Francis met privately with members of the Society of Jesus in the Apostolic Nunciature before addressing bishops, priests, deacons, consecrated persons, seminarians and catechists in the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption.
The Holy Father’s address in the Cathedral reflected on the motto of his visit to Indonesia: “Faith, Fraternity, Compassion.” In his remarks, Pope Francis called on Indonesia’s 8.3 million Catholics to “give and share the joy of encountering Christ always with great respect and fraternal affection” and encouraged those working in the church to continue forward “by being strong in faith, open to all in fraternity, and close to one another in compassion.”
That evening, the Holy Father met with young members of Scholas Occurrentes, an international nonprofit organization founded by Pope Francis that fosters a “Culture of Encounter” through youth education in arts, sports, and technology.
Pope Francis added the final piece to a large collective artwork made by more than 1,500 people from different backgrounds, communities, and religions, the “Heart of Indonesia.” The heart-shaped polyhedron, comprising more than 180 unique and colorful triangles, represents the “richness of Indonesia’s cultural and religious diversity.”
On Sept. 5, Pope Francis delivered an address while visiting the Istiqlal Mosque, the largest mosque in Asia and the third largest in the world, for an interreligious meeting with representatives from Islam, Buddhism, Confucianism, Hinduism, Catholicism and Protestantism. Indonesia, with a population of 275 million, is approximately 87% Muslim and the world’s largest Muslim country.
While at the mosque, Pope Francis and the Grand Imam, Dr. Nasaruddin Umar, signed the Joint Declaration of Istiqlal 2024, which calls for an end to religious violence and intolerance and protection of the environment.
The Holy Father also visited the “Tunnel of Friendship,” an underground tunnel connecting the mosque and the Catholic Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption. Pope Francis noted, “When we think of a tunnel, we might easily imagine a dark pathway,” but this tunnel is “illuminated” because, he said to the interreligious leaders present, “you are the light that illuminates it.”
Pope Francis then met with beneficiaries from charitable organizations before celebrating Mass in Jakarta’s Gelora Bung Karno Stadium. Speaking to a crowd of approximately 100,000 people, Pope Francis encouraged the nation’s Catholics to overcome mistakes and difficulties by focusing on Jesus Christ.
“Do not grow weary of setting sail, do not grow weary of casting your nets, do not grow weary of dreaming, do not grow weary of building again a civilization of peace! Always dare to dream of fraternity,” he said.
He concluded his homily with a call to Indonesia’s Catholics “to sow seeds of love, confidently tread the path of dialogue, continue to show your goodness and kindness with your characteristic smile … And be builders of peace.”
On Sept. 6, Pope Francis departed Jakarta for Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, where he will embark on the next leg of his Apostolic Journey.
Pope Francis’s visit to Indonesia as part of his Apostolic Journey to Asia and Oceania is a testament to the importance of faith and fraternity in advancing peace and religious freedom around the world.
Fmr. Ambassador Callista L. Gingrich is the Chief Executive Officer of Gingrich 360, a multimedia production and consulting company based in Arlington, Virginia. Read Ambassador Callista Gingrich’s Reports — More Here.
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