July 11, 2024
JAKARTA – Preparations for Pope Francis’ first visit to Indonesia are intensifying two months ahead of his scheduled arrival in early September, with a variety of government bodies, from the Foreign and Religious Affairs ministries, to the security apparatus, ramping up their coordination with the Apostolic Nunciature, the Vatican’s embassy, in Jakarta.
Catholic churches across the country, meanwhile, are organizing enthusiastic congregations aspiring to attend a Mass set to be held at the Gelora Bung Karno (GBK) stadium in Central Jakarta on the third day of the Pope’s visit, on Sept. 5. Around 70,000 people are expected to attend the service.
According to a release by the Holy See in Rome, the 87-year-old pontiff will arrive in Jakarta on Sept. 3 and is scheduled to receive a formal welcome from President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo at the State Palace the next day.
Subsequently, the pontiff will deliver speeches at various different locations including the Jakarta Cathedral and Istiqlal Mosque, the latter being Indonesia’s largest house of worship and Southeast Asia’s biggest mosque.
Francis is also confirmed to sign a declaration of humanity with Istiqlal Grand Imam Nasaruddin Umar.
As the pope’s visit is forecast to attract huge crowds and could prove physically challenging, the government has intensified efforts to ensure the pope’s wellbeing.
A special committee of the Bishop’s Conference of Indonesia (KWI), which is planning the itinerary, reports the preparations for the papal visit have been intense as they require “physical, spiritual and technical” planning.
Though preparations have been underway for a long time, the past three to four months have seen more intense efforts, explained Thomas Ulun Ismoyo of the KWI.
The Indonesia trip is one leg of the pope’s two-week-long Asia-Oceania tour in September, which will be his longest foreign trip of his 11-year papacy. The physically grueling journey comes amid increasing concerns about his health.
The 87-year-old pontiff has been using a wheelchair in recent years due to a string of health problems, from strained knee ligaments to a hernia. Questions about the pope’s health resurfaced after he skipped a Good Friday service in Rome in late March, prompting prayers for him from Indonesian congregations.
“The help provided by the government has been tremendous. And the people have joined hands to also help prepare, whether it be in the form of small donations or through other spiritual means like holding prayer sessions. Much of it is also spiritual preparation,” Thomas said.
“We are very grateful for this collaboration between the people of God, the Holy See, and related government bodies. We are very excited to see our pope,” he continued.
Among the preparatory steps that will be carried out until the pope’s arrival is publicizing the religious services, especially for those eager to attend Mass at the GBK stadium.
With the stadium’s maximum capacity of just over 77,000 people, entry tickets for the Mass have been distributed to representatives of Indonesia’s 40 dioceses, which have been granted the authority to distribute the quotas to their members as they see fit.
Previously, Indonesian Catholics have expressed their joy upon learning about the pope’s visit, with many excited at the prospect of possibly being among those able to take part in the Mass at GBK.
President Jokowi in June 2022 invited the pope to Indonesia, the country with the world’s largest Muslim population, as part of an effort to promote religious tolerance. According to a Foreign Ministry release, his visit is “expected to strengthen the message of tolerance, unity and world peace”.
Indonesia is home to roughly 242 million Muslims and 29 million Christians, 8.5 million of whom are Catholics, according to 2022 Religious Affairs Ministry data.
Pope Francis will be the third pope to visit Indonesia, after Pope Paul VI in 1970 and Pope John Paul II in 1989. Both were greeted by then-president Soeharto.
The Pope is scheduled to leave Indonesia for Papua New Guinea on Sept. 6.
After Port Moresby, he will then go to Singapore and Timor Leste, the Vatican announced in April.