Pope Francis, 87, called on Wednesday in Jakarta to “strengthen inter-religious dialogue” to “counteract extremism and intolerance”, at the start of his long tour in Asia-Pacific.
Interfaith dialogue is one of the main themes of this three-day visit to Indonesia, with a meeting on Thursday between representatives of the six officially recognised faiths in the country.
Such dialogue is “indispensable to confront common challenges, including that of countering extremism and intolerance, which – by distorting religion – seek to impose themselves using deception and violence,” Francis stressed during a speech at the presidential palace.
Appearing in good shape and smiling, the Argentine pope was welcomed at the Merdeka Palace by the outgoing Indonesian president Joko Widodo, with whom he spoke privately.
Indonesia has struggled with Islamist extremism in recent decades, culminating in bombings on the resort island of Bali in 2002 that killed 202 people.
The attacks, the deadliest in Indonesian history, led to a crackdown on Islamist extremism.
– “Brotherhood” –
Addressing the international situation, the Pope also said that “in various regions we are witnessing the emergence of violent conflicts, which are often the result (…) of an intolerant desire to assert at all costs one’s interests, one’s position or one’s partial historical narrative, even if this (…) leads to real bloody wars.”
“Freedom and tolerance is what Indonesia and the Vatican want to spread,” Mr Widodo echoed.
In a joyful atmosphere, hundreds of children and young people in traditional costumes displaying flags of Indonesia and the Vatican greeted the arrival of Francis, who took part in the protocol game with a military parade and anthems of the two countries.
The same fervor was evident on Wednesday afternoon at the Notre-Dame de l’Assomption cathedral, where the leader of the 1.3 billion Catholics encouraged the local clergy to “brotherhood,” inviting them to remain “open and friends of all.”
The pope’s visit “is a special reminder for us to be with others, we are not only close to the Indonesian people, but also to other religions,” said Sister Caroline, 45, originally from Sumatra and a member of the Sisters of Charity.
After a 13-hour flight on Tuesday, François, who uses a wheelchair, was able to enjoy a half-day of rest. He did not appear to suffer from jet lag or the humid heat of the Indonesian capital.
On Wednesday morning, he joked about Indonesia’s birth rate, returning to the debate over parenthood. “In your country, people have three, four or five children, that’s an example for every country, while some people prefer to have just a cat or a small dog. That can’t go well,” he said, to which Mr Widodo responded with a smile.
The archipelago of 17,500 islands is home to the largest Muslim population in the world (242 million, or 87% of the inhabitants), for some eight million Catholics (less than 3%), and interreligious dialogue is the central theme of this stage.
– Enhanced security –
Late in the morning, Jorge Bergoglio met privately with members of the Society of Jesus – the Jesuit order to which he belongs – at the apostolic nunciature of the Holy See, the Vatican embassy, a tradition during his trips abroad.
He will end his day with a meeting with young people from the Scholas Occurrentes network, an educational movement initially aimed at children from disadvantaged areas of Buenos Aires.
His marathon tour of four countries in Southeast Asia and Oceania, originally scheduled for 2020, was postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic. After Paul VI in 1970 and John Paul II in 1989, Francis is the third pope to visit the country.
Francis is expected in Papua New Guinea on Friday, then in East Timor and Singapore, where he will complete a 32,000 km journey on September 13, the furthest since his election in 2013.
This 45th trip abroad represents a major physical challenge for the Argentine Jesuit, who has suffered health problems in recent years but often appears invigorated by travel and contact with the faithful.
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