ROME, 02 september 2024 (TATOLI) – Today, Pope Francis begins his 12-day apostolic journey to Asia-Pacific, the longest and farthest of his pontificate, which includes Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Timor-Leste and Singapore.
The Holy Father will fly out of Rome on an ITA Airways flight on his way to Indonesia for his september 3-6 visit, with the papal flight is expected to take off at approximately 5:15 PM Rome time. He is expected to land in Jakarta about 11:30 AM local time.
During his visit to Indonesia, the world’s most populous Muslim-majority country, he will meet with various national and religious leaders and young people to bring his closeness to the country’s 8 million Catholic flock.
After the welcoming ceremony at the Istana Merdeka Presidential Palace, in Jakarta, Pope Francis will pay a courtesy visit to the President of the Republic of Indonesia, Joko Widodo, at the Istana Merdeka Presidential Palace.
The Pope is also scheduled to meet other Indonesian authorities, civil society and the diplomatic corps in the hall of the Istana Negara Presidential Palace.
His Holiness will also meet the Indonesian bishops, priests, deacons, consecrated persons, seminarians and catechists at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption. On the same day, Pope Francis will also meet young people of the Scholas Occurrentes at the Grha Pemuda Youth Centre.
Pope Francis will also visit the Jakarta’s main mosque where he will address the interreligious meeting. He is expected to tour the Tunnel of Friendship, an underground tunnel that connects the mosque to the Indonesia’s cathedral. After the tour, Pope Francis will hold a meeting with beneficiaries from Charitable Organizations, in the Indonesian’s Bishops’ Conference Headquarters.
Before leaving for Papua New Guinea, Pope Francis will wrap up Indonesia visit with huge open-air Mass in Gelora Bung Karno Stadium.
His Holiness will then leave for Papua New Guinea the following day on a Garuda Airways flight for his visit to the Pacific country from 6 to 9 september.
Journalist: Filomeno Martins
Editor: Rafael Ximenes de Assis Belo
