Pope Francis Arrives in Indonesia, the World's Largest Muslim Country, at the Start of His Asian Journey

Pope Francis arrived in Indonesia, the world's largest Muslim country, on Tuesday, September 4, at the beginning of his trip to four Asian and Pacific countries. One of the main goals of the 87-year-old leader of the world's Catholics is to encourage global action on climate change. Indonesia is the fourth most populous country in the world, with over 240 million Muslims and nearly thirty million Christians. By choosing this country as the first destination of his trip, Pope Francis aims to honor the tradition of tolerance and peaceful coexistence among followers of different religions in this country, in addition to meeting with Indonesian Catholics. The Pope is scheduled to meet with a group of refugees, displaced persons, and the sick today, but the main events of his trip will begin on Wednesday. On this day, in addition to meeting with political figures, he will also meet with church officials and leaders of the eight million-member Catholic community in Indonesia. Environmental concerns and climate conditions, efforts to reduce conflicts, and the development of ethics-based economic growth have been announced as the main themes of the Pope's trip, topics that are likely to be emphasized in his speech on Wednesday to Indonesian officials. The Pope called for an end to the use of fossil fuels. A strong advocate of the Paris Climate Agreement of 2015, the Pope continues to insist on his demand to combat the dangers posed by global warming. Jakarta, with a population of over 10 million, is highly vulnerable to climate change, including devastating floods and landslides. The air in this city is severely polluted, and a gray cloud of dust and pollutants is always visible above it. This is why the Indonesian government is building a new capital called 'Nusantara' on the island of Borneo; a modern capital that is expected to be built and operate according to environmental standards with minimal pollution. The most important part of Pope Francis's visit to Indonesia will take place on Thursday. On this day, the Pope will attend a program called 'Interfaith Dialogue' at the Istiqlal Mosque, with representatives from six official religions in Indonesia, including Islam, Catholic Christianity, Protestant Christianity, Buddhism, Hinduism, and Confucianism. The Istiqlal Mosque is the largest mosque in Southeast Asia and is located at one side of a square directly opposite the Jakarta Cathedral, connected by an underground tunnel called 'Friendship.' Pope Francis is expected to visit this tunnel alongside Nasruddin Umar, the mosque's imam, on the verge of signing a joint statement. The close distance between this mosque and the cathedral is not coincidental; it has been deliberately designed as a symbol of tolerance and religious freedom emphasized in Indonesia's constitution. While Pope Francis wants to appreciate Indonesia's tradition of religious tolerance, some events have somewhat tarnished the image of this country as a moderate and tolerant Muslim community. Three years ago, a Muslim couple detonated themselves in front of a Catholic cathedral on the island of Sulawesi; an incident that injured at least 20 people. The leader of the Catholic Church is also scheduled to hold a religious ceremony at Jakarta's main stadium on Thursday evening; an event expected to attract around 60,000 participants. Jakarta officials have urged people to work from home as much as possible on this day. Ahead of the Pope's arrival in Jakarta, Indonesian President Joko Widodo described this visit as historic, stating that Indonesia and the Vatican share a similar commitment to promoting peace and brotherhood and ensuring human comfort. Pope Francis is the third Catholic leader to visit Indonesia, following Pope Paul VI in 1970 and Pope John Paul II in 1989. The twelve-day trip of the leader of the world's Catholics to Asia and the Pacific is his longest trip in this position, and in addition to Indonesia, he will also visit East Timor, Singapore, and Papua New Guinea. After covering about 33,000 kilometers, Pope Francis will return to Rome on Friday, September 15.