Pope Francis made a pastoral and state visit to Jakarta, Indonesia, from 3 to 6 September 2024. He became the third pontiff to visit the country, following Paul VI on 3‒4 December 1970 and John Paul II on 8‒12 October 1989. The theme of his visit was "Faith, Fraternity, and Compassion" ().
Background Invitation and planning
Pope Francis himself was originally set to visit Indonesia in 2020, as part of an apostolic journey also including East Timor and Papua New Guinea. The visit aimed to promote interfaith dialogue, especially significant given Indonesia's status as the largest Muslim-majority country. The visit was expected to strengthen ties between diverse religious communities, particularly between Catholics and Muslims. However, the visit was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Travel restrictions, health concerns, and the need to avoid large gatherings forced the Vatican to adjust plans. No rescheduled date was announced at the time, with future plans dependent on the global situation.
In 2024, the Indonesian government, through President Joko Widodo, extended an official invitation to the Holy See for the visit. This invitation was officially conveyed on 25 March 2024, by Archbishop Piero Pioppo, the Apostolic Nuncio to Indonesia. The four-day visit to Indonesia, lasting from 3-6 September, marks his 45th international trip, making it the longest of his papacy. Previously, some sources stated that Pope Francis will also visit East Nusa Tenggara and West Kalimantan. However it was later outed from the schedule for conciseness.
Agenda
Based on official information released by the Bishops' Conference of Indonesia, the agenda of Pope Francis's agenda while in Indonesia as confirmed by the Holy See Press Office are:
Monday, 2 September 2024 Departure from Leonardo da Vinci International Airport, Fiumicino, Rome to Jakarta
Tuesday, 3 September 2024 Official welcome by the Indonesian Government at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport
Wednesday, 4 September 2024 Official welcoming ceremony in the courtyard of the Merdeka Palace, Jakarta Honorary Visit to the President of Indonesia, Joko Widodo Meeting with government, civil society and the diplomatic corps at the Istana Negara Hall Private Meeting with Members of the Jesuit Society at the Apostolic Nunciature to Indonesia (Vatican Embassy) Meeting with Indonesian Bishops, Priests, Deacons, Consecrated Life Workers, Seminarians and Catechists at Jakarta Cathedral Meeting with Young Scholas of Scholas Occurrentes at Grha Pemuda
Thursday, 5 September 2024 Interfaith meeting at Istiqlal Mosque and visit to the Tunnel of Friendship, signing of Istiqlal 2024 Joint Declaration Meeting with Beneficiaries of Charitable Organisations at the Bishops' Conference of Indonesia Office Presiding over Holy Mass at Gelora Bung Karno Main Stadium
Friday, 6 September 2024 Departure ceremony from Soekarno-Hatta International Airport to Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea
Departure and reception
On Monday, 2 September 2024, Pope Francis departed from Leonardo da Vinci International Airport, Fiumicino, Rome to Jakarta at approximately 17:32 CEST (UTC+02:00). The journey covered more than 10,800 kilometres and took almost 13 hours. He used a commercial aircraft run by ITA Airways with flight code AZ4000. The flight is also referred to as 'Shepherd One'. The aircraft used was an Airbus A330-941 with register code EI-HJS, traveling on an ITA Airways commercial aircraft. During the flight to Jakarta, the Pope greeted around 85 journalists on board, thanking them personally. Several journalists presented him with meaningful gifts, including a replica of a historical inscription from Xian, a torch used by refugees, and a red football shirt in memory of an 11-year-old boy, symbolizing his commitment to compassion, solidarity, and the protection of migrants and refugees. Pope Francis's decision to use a commercial ITA Airways jet for his apostolic visit to Indonesia was met with widespread praise from Indonesian social media and media outlets. With many lauded his "humble" approach to the visit. Inspired by the Pope, President Joko Widodo chose to use the Toyota Kijang Innova Zenix minivan as a form of respect for Pope Francis's simplicity. And so his presidential cars such as the Mercedes Benz S600 Guard or Toyota Alphard were ditched in preference to the Kijang Innova Zenix for certain activities during the pope's visit to Indonesia.
Arrival in Indonesia
Upon his arrival in Indonesia at 11.19 am (UTC+07:00), Pope Francis was welcomed by the Minister of Religious Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia, Yaqut Cholil Qoumas. He was also welcomed by Member of the Presidential Advisory Council of the Republic of Indonesia, Gandi Sulistiyanto and Indonesian Ambassador to the Holy See of the Vatican, Michael Trias Kuncahyono. A number of clergy who also picked up Pope Francis included the Apostolic Nuncio to Indonesia, Piero Pioppo, the Archbishop of Jakarta, Ignatius Cardinal Suharyo, and the Chairman of the Indonesian Bishops‘ Conference (KWI), Antonius Subianto Bunjamin, O.S.C., as well as the Secretary of the Vatican Embassy in Indonesia, Msgr Michael Andrew Pawlowicz. The Pope then received a ‘Bhinneka Tunggal Ika’ flower arrangement made of vegetables, fruits, and herbs from Indonesia, symbolising Indonesia as an agrarian country. He then sat at the front in a Kijang Innova Zenix. The Pope then headed to the Nunciatura (Embassy of the Holy See of the Vatican) located at Jalan Medan Merdeka Timur, Jakarta, where he was staying during his visit to Jakarta. Along the way across Jalan Jenderal Sudirman and Jalan M.H. Thamrin, he opened the glass of his car and greeted the people standing on the roadside.
The following day, on 4 September 2024, Pope Francis visited the Merdeka Palace, where he attended a state ceremony with President Joko Widodo. He was welcomed by the Nusantara Guard and a number of children dressed in traditional Indonesian clothes. The Vatican anthem 'Inno e Marcia Pontificale' and the Indonesian national anthem 'Indonesia Raya' were played, accompanied by a 21-gun salvo. Pope Francis filled out a guest book, in which he wrote;
The officials accompanying each head of state were previously introduced. Officials accompanying President Joko Widodo included Minister of Defence and President-Elect Prabowo Subianto; Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture, Muhadjir Effendy; Minister of Foreign Affairs, Retno Marsudi; Minister of State Secretary, Pratikno; Minister of Religious Affairs, Yaqut Cholil Qoumas, Cabinet Secretary, Pramono Anung; and Indonesian Ambassador to the Holy See, Michael Trias Kuncahyono. The Pope was accompanied by a number of Holy See officials, including Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle, Pro-Prefect of the First Evangelisation Section of the Dicastery for Evangelization; Archbishop Edgar Peña Parra, Substitute for General Affairs at the Secretariat of State of the Holy See; and Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, Secretary of the Section for Foreign Relations and International Organisations at the Secretariat of State of the Holy See.Pope Francis and President Joko Widodo then held a brief meeting on the veranda of the Merdeka Palace. The Pope then met with a number of government officials, civil society, and the diplomatic corps at the State Palace. During the meeting, Pope Francis mentioned Bhinneka Tunggal Ika as a reflection of Indonesia's diversity and also the Preamble of the 1945 Constitution of the Republic of Indonesia by referring to the presence of God mentioned in the text.
Meeting with members of the clergy On the afternoon of 4 September 2024, Pope Francis, the first Jesuit pope, held a closed meeting with the clergy of the Society of Jesus in Indonesia. The meeting was held at the Apostolic Nunciature for Indonesia. The meeting was attended by around 200 Jesuits. Some of the Jesuits present included the Archbishop Emeritus of Jakarta, Julius Cardinal Darmaatmadja, S.J.
In the afternoon, Pope Francis headed to the Church of Our Lady of the Assumption for a meeting (audience) with Indonesian bishops, priests, deacons, consecrated people, seminarians, and catechists, totalling around 1,200 people. The Pope's presence was welcomed with a traditional angklung ensemble. He then entered the Cathedral Church by first kissing the cross and sprinkling holy water given by the Cathedral's Head Priest, Fr. P. Albertus Hani Rudi Hartoko, S.J. During the meeting, the Pope gave a catechesis on the three words that became the theme of his visit to Indonesia, namely faith, brotherhood, and compassion. Before giving his catechesis, several testimonies were delivered, among others by R.D. Florens Maxi Un Bria (Chairman of UNIO Indonesia/the association of diocesan priests in Indonesia), Sr. Rina Rosalina, M.C. (nun), Nikolas Wijaya (catechist/teacher of Catholic Religious Education at SMA Regina Pacis Bogor), and Agnes Natalia (catechist/teacher of Catholic Religious Education at SMA Santa Ursula Jakarta).
Meeting with the laity After a meeting at the Jakarta Cathedral Church, the Pope met with a number of activists of the Scholas Occurrentes organisation. The organisation is a global youth education movement founded by Pope Francis in 2013 in Argentina. The meeting took place at the Grha Pemuda located in the Jakarta Cathedral complex. During the meeting, a Scholas Occurentes volunteer from Buton Regency, Ana Nuraulia, gave her testimony. The meeting was also attended by Minister of Education, Culture, Research and Technology, Nadiem Makarim, and his wife, and child. Indonesian Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment, Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan, gave the Pope a mangrove tree seedling. The Pope blessed the seedlings and gave land and water for the mangroves. On 8 September 2024, the seedlings were sent and planted in the Kura Kura Special Economic Zone, Denpasar, Bali.
On the afternoon of 5 September 2024, Pope Francis met with beneficiaries of the charity organisation as well as a number of people with disabilities. The meeting was held in the Henry Soetio Hall of the Indonesian Bishops' Conference Building. The Laetitia Disability Choir, a choir of people with disabilities under the auspices of the Archdiocese of Jakarta, sang a number of songs during the meeting. The meeting was also part of the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Indonesian Bishops‘ Conference (KWI), which was held without celebration and received appreciation from Pope Francis.
Interfaith meeting
On the morning of 5 September 2024, Pope Francis visited the Istiqlal Mosque, the largest mosque in Southeast Asia. He met with the Grand Imam of the Istiqlal Mosque, Nasaruddin Umar. This meeting was also attended by a number of Indonesian officials and scholars. His presence was welcomed with the accompaniment of marawis by 12 boys. Pope Francis visited and blessed the Tunnel of Friendship. The Tunnel of Friendship connects the Istiqlal Mosque with the Jakarta Cathedral Church as a sign of friendship and solidarity between Muslims and Christianity. The Pope then attended an interfaith meeting. The meeting began with the reading of the Quran. The Quranic verses were recited by Kayla Nur Syahwa Syakhila, a female hafizah for the visually impaired. In braille, she recited the Surah Al-Baqarah verse 62 and Surah Al-Hujurat verse 13. Both of these verses were recited as it held importance about faith, tolerance, and living together. The Surah Al-Baqara 2:62 had a meaning about anyone among the followers of the heavenly religions who believes in Allah and the Last Day, will experience a heart free from fear and sadness. Similarly, Surah Al-Hujurat 49:13 addresses the total equality of humankind, emphasizing the significance of coexisting amid differences with the goal of understanding and mutual recognition among different people.