VATICAN CITY -- Pope Francis is heading to Indonesia to start the longest trip of his pontificate, hoping to encourage its Catholic community and celebrate the tradition of interfaith harmony in a country with the worldās largest Muslim population.
Francis plans to take a rest day upon arrival Tuesday in Jakarta, given the overnight flight from Rome and the rigors of an 11-day voyage zigzagging across time zones that will also take him to Papua New Guinea, East Timor and Singapore. However, the Vatican said the 87-year-old pope would meet Tuesday with a group of refugees, migrants and sick people at the Vatican residence in Jakarta.
The highlight of Francisā first stop will be his participation Thursday in an interfaith meeting in Jakarta's iconic Istiqlal mosque with representatives of the six religions that are officially recognized in Indonesia: Islam, Buddhism, Confucianism, Hinduism, Catholicism and Protestantism.
The mosque, the largest in Southeast Asia, sits across a piazza from the capitalās main Catholic cathedral, Our Lady of Assumption, and the two are so close to each another that the Muslim call to prayer can be heard during Mass.
Their proximity is not coincidental, but strongly willed as a symbol of religious freedom and tolerance that is enshrined in Indonesiaās Constitution. The buildings are also linked by an underground āTunnel of Friendshipā which Francis will visit with the grand imam, Nasaruddin Umar, before they sign a joint declaration.
While Francis will want to highlight Indonesia's tradition of religious tolerance, the country's image as a moderate Muslim nation has been undermined by flare-ups of intolerance. In 2021, a militant Islamic couple blew themselves up outside a packed Catholic cathedral on Indonesiaās Sulawesi island during a Palm Sunday Mass, injuring at least 20 people.
āWe have no problem with the visit. Heās a guest and we will welcome him,ā said Eldy, a 64-year-old retired government worker who uses one name and was out walking during a car-free day in Jakarta on Sunday. āHe wants to visit our Istiqlal mosque, he can do it.ā
Even though Catholics make up only three per cent of Indonesiaās population, the sheer number of Indonesians -- 275 million -- makes the archipelago home to the third-largest Christian community in Asia, after the Philippines and China.
As a result, thousands are expected to throng to Francisā events this week, which include a Mass on Thursday afternoon at Jakartaās main stadium expected to draw some 60,000 people. City authorities have urged residents to work from home that day given roadblocks and crowds.
āIt is a joy for our country, especially for us Catholics,ā said Elisabeth Damanik, a 50-year-old housewife outside a packed Mass on Sunday at Our Lady of the Assumption. āHopefully the popeās visit can build religious tolerance in our beloved country of Indonesia.ā
Care for the environment, conflict resolution and ethically minded economic development are the major themes for the trip, and Francis may touch on them during his main speech to Indonesian authorities on Wednesday.
Francis has made caring for the environment a hallmark of his pontificate and has often used his foreign visits to press his agenda on the need to care for Godās creation, prevent exploitation of its natural resources and protect poor people who are bearing the brunt of climate extremes and pollution.
In Jakarta, he will find a metropolis of 11.3 million people choking under gray clouds of air pollution caused by coal-fired power plants, vehicle exhaust, trash burning and factories. Jakartaās air pollution regularly registers eight to nine times above World Health Organization limits.
āIndonesia has the worst air pollution in Southeast Asia,ā said Piotr Jakubowski, an air pollution expert and co-founder of Indonesian air quality monitoring company Nafas. āThe visit of the pope is great because it provides a sounding board ... from another, very well-respected world leader."
Residents, too, hope Francis will speak out about the issue.
āThe pollution in Jakarta is at an alarming level. Thatās why the presence of the pope can provide a benefit with the discussion of environmental issues,ā said government worker Erik Sebastian Naibaho, 26.
Francis is the third pope to visit Indonesia after Pope Paul VI in 1970 and St. John Paul II in 1989. Their attention underscores Indonesiaās importance to the Vatican both in terms of Christian-Muslim dialogue and Catholic vocations, since it is home to the worldās largest seminary and produces hundreds of priests and other religious workers a year.
āIndonesia is trying to grow in the faith,ā said Cardinal Ignatius Suharyo Hardjoatmodjo, the archbishop of Jakarta whom Francis made a cardinal in 2019.
At a briefing last week, he said Francis wanted to express his appreciation for Indonesiaās interfaith tradition āand encourage this kind of brotherhood to continue to be maintained and developed.ā
Tarigan reported from Jakarta, Indonesia. Helena Alves contributed from Jakarta.
