Pope Francis landed in Jakarta yesterday after a 13-hour flight from Rome and was greeted by Indonesia’s religious affairs minister and two children in traditional dress who offered him flowers. Source: CNS.
After his long flight, the Pope was scheduled to take the remainder of the day to rest and adjust to the five-hour time difference between Rome and Jakarta.
However, before resting, Pope Francis visited migrants and refugees assisted by Jesuit Refugee Service, orphans cared for by Dominican sisters and elderly and sick people assisted by the Community of Sant’Egidio.
The visit took place at the apostolic nunciature, where the Pope is staying while in Indonesia.
At the beginning of the flight on Monday, the 87-year-old Pope thanked reporters for accompanying him on the longest trip of his pontificate; he plans to visit Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Timor-Leste and Singapore before returning to Rome on September 13.
The Pope walked the entire length of the plane, greeting each of the 75 journalists aboard.
Matteo Bruni, director of the Vatican press office, told reporters to expect Pope Francis to talk in Indonesia about the importance of fidelity to preserving the unity in diversity enshrined in the country’s constitution.
While Indonesia has the largest Muslim population in the world, it also is home to Catholics, other Christians, Buddhists and Hindus. The country also boasts of having more than 300 ethnic groups with dozens of languages.
The Pope’s schedule includes an interreligious meeting at Southeast Asia’s largest mosque as well as meeting the nation’s Catholics and to visit some of the social and charitable works they carry out in Jesus’ name.
In Indonesia, like the three other island-nations on the trip – Papua New Guinea, Timor-Leste and Singapore – care for the environment is also expected to be a key theme, Mr Bruni said.
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Pope arrives in Indonesia at start of four-nation tour (By Cindy Wooden, CNS)
