PHOTOS: Pope Francis in Indonesia for his 45th apostolic journey

By Jonah McKeown

CNA Staff, Sep 6, 2024 / 06:00 am

Pope Francis on Tuesday landed in the Indonesian capital of Jakarta, the first stop on what is expected to be the longest and most demanding international voyage of his pontificate to date.

On Friday, Pope Francis will fly to Papua New Guinea’s capital of Port Moresby, making him the second pope to visit after St. John Paul II, who visited twice.

Here’s a look at some of the highlights of Francis’ trip so far: 

On Tuesday morning, Pope Francis landed in Jakarta after a 13-hour flight. Upon the pope’s arrival at Jakarta’s apostolic nunciature, where he is staying during his time in the country, the pope greeted refugees cared for by Jesuit Refugee Service, orphaned children raised by Dominican nuns, and the elderly and homeless accompanied by the Catholic Community of Sant’Egidio in Indonesia.

On the pope’s first full day of public appearances in Indonesia on Wednesday, he called upon the political leaders of the world’s largest Muslim-majority country to protect the country’s delicate balance of many cultures and religions by respecting the human rights of all, including minorities. The pope also commended the country’s high birth rate, joking that in the West, some families “prefer to have only a cat or a little dog” to children.

On Thursday morning, Pope Francis met with beneficiaries of charitable organizations at the headquarters of the Indonesia Bishops’ Conference in the country’s capital. He reminded those gathered that each of them “are the most precious members of this Church” who have a specific contribution to give to the universal Church, the world, and their families.

The Holy Father also visited the grounds of Southeast Asia’s largest mosque on Thursday for an interfaith meeting, where he signed a joint declaration condemning religious-based violence with Muslim leader Grand Imam Nasaruddin Umar.

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That evening, more than 100,000 worshippers participated in Pope Francis’ celebration of Mass at the Gelora Bung Karno Stadium in Jakarta. The Holy Father encouraged the country’s Catholics to always listen to the word of God — especially in times of weariness, disappointment, and failure.

Upon entering the stadium in a wheelchair, Pope Francis was immediately greeted by loud cheers and cries of “Viva Papa!” from a 60,000-strong crowd at the Mass celebrated in Latin and Bahasa Indonesian. Tens of thousands who could not fit in the stadium gathered in a nearby venue.

Jonah McKeown is a staff writer and podcast producer for Catholic News Agency. He holds a Master’s Degree from the University of Missouri School of Journalism and has worked as a writer, as a producer for public radio, and as a videographer. He is based in St. Louis.