Pope Francis arrived in Muslim-majority Indonesia on Tuesday to kick off a four-nation tour of the Asia-Pacific that will be the longest and farthest of the 87-year-old’s papacy. The head of the world’s 1.3 billion Catholics touched down in Jakarta for a three-day visit devoted to inter-religious ties, and will then travel to Papua New Guinea, East Timor and Singapore. The 12-day tour will test the pontiff’s increasingly fragile health, but he is often energised by being among his flock and in recent weeks has appeared in good spirits. The pope was due to have a relaxing day in Jakarta on Tuesday following the long flight from Rome, then meet President Joko Widodo on Wednesday in the first major set piece of his visit to the world’s most populous Muslim-majority country. Catholics currently represent fewer than three percent of the population of Indonesia — about eight million people, compared with the 87 percent, or 242 million, who are Muslim.

But they are one of six officially recognised religions or denominations in the secular nation, including Protestantism, Buddhism, Hinduism and Confucianism. On Thursday, Francis will meet representatives of all six at Istiqlal Mosque, the largest in Southeast Asia and a symbol of religious co-existence. It is linked via a “tunnel of friendship” to the cathedral across the road, where Christians in recent days have been taking selfies with a life-sized cutout of the pope. He will then host a mass and deliver a sermon at Indonesia’s 80,000-seater national football stadium. Despite Indonesia’s official recognition of different faiths, there are concerns about growing discrimination, including against Christians, with local Catholics hoping the pope will speak out.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan