Pope Francis landed Tuesday in Jakarta, capital of the world’s most Muslim country, 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 on Tuesday shortly before 11:30 a.m. local time (6:30 a.m. Spanish mainland time) at Jakarta International Airport, after a 13-hour delay, as scheduled.
The Pope was received at the airfield by Indonesia’s Minister of Religious Affairs, Yaqut Cholil Qoumas.and will rest the rest of the day to recover from the flight and get used to the jet lag.
The official agenda will begin on Wednesday at the nunciature, where he will reside these days in Jakarta and will welcome some immigrants and poor people who are cared for by the Community of San Egidio in the country.
Some 4,300 soldiers and 4,700 police officers, as well as snipers, will ensure the Pope’s security, according to Indonesian authorities, during the various events taking place in the Asian archipelago between September 3 and 6.
The highest Catholic representative, aged 87 and in fragile health, will also be accompanied by members of the Vatican’s Swiss Guard.
He is the third pope to visit Indonesia.After Paul VI in 1970 and John Paul II in 1989, the pontiff should put forward dialogue with Islam and the religions of the archipelago, as well as the fight against climate change.
During his visit, Francis will meet with outgoing President Joko Widodo and religious representatives, while participating in an interfaith event at Jakarta’s Istiqlal Mosque and offering a mass at Gelora Bung Karno stadium, where 80,000 people are expected to attend.
Catholics represent only 3.1% of Indonesia’s 270 million people.but it remains the third largest Catholic population in Asia, after the Philippines and China, while Muslims represent 89.4%.
Indonesia, which generally practices a moderate form of Islam, has seen a rise in the influence of radical groups over the past two decades, although they have been less active in recent years.
Francis, whose mobility problems require him to use a wheelchair, will continue his Asian tour to Papua New Guinea, East Timor and Singapore until September 13, marking the longest trip of his papacy.
