Pope Francis touched down in Indonesia on Tuesday, commencing his extensive Asia-Pacific tour. The visit is organised with an expectation of global appeals from the Pope on climate change, marking his longest foreign journey so far. He arrived at Jakarta’s Soekarno–Hatta airport via an ITA Airways charter flight, accompanied by his delegation and journalists.
Over the coming ten days, his schedule includes visits to East Timor, Singapore, and Papua New Guinea. Upon arrival in Jakarta, Francis, seated in a wheelchair, was given a local produce bouquet by two children in indigenous Indonesian clothing. Religious dignitaries of Indonesia, the country’s Vatican ambassador and bishops greeted him on a red carpet, lined by honour guards, before he proceeded to a standby car.
Events for the Pope’s public appearance weren’t slated for Tuesday, giving him time to recuperate after his 13-hour night flight from Rome. His official duties kick off on Wednesday with an address to the political leaders of Indonesia. Francis will also join an interfaith meeting at the Istiqlal Mosque, Southeast Asia’s largest, on Thursday.
This travel will span 12 days – the Pope’s most extended period on a trip. Upon his return to Rome on the 13th of September, he would have covered over 33,000km (20,505 miles). The Pope, an advocate of the 2015 Paris climate agreement, is predicted to reinforce his call for global action against global warming.
Jakarta, home to at least ten million people, faces rising susceptibility to climate change impacts, suffering routine floods and land subsidence. The government is fledging a new capital, Nusantara, on the Borneo island as a solution. Indonesia, dominated by a Muslim majority with roughly 280 million people, hosts just 3% of Catholics.
Before the Pope’s arrival, Joko Widodo, the Indonesian president, expressed warm reception for Francis’s visit, which had experienced postponement due to the pandemic. He appreciated the historic nature of the visit, stressing the mutual commitment of Indonesia and the Vatican to peace, prosperity and unity.