Pope calls on Indonesia to keep its promise of “harmony in diversity”

Despite the busy travel schedule, Francis' first day in Indonesia was full of energy and jokes, with laughter and joking throughout. He met with outgoing President Joko Widodo and other Indonesian officials at the presidential palace and greeted Catholic priests, nuns and seminarians in Jakarta's main cathedral in the afternoon.

Cannon fire rang out as Francis, along with President-elect Prabowo Subianto, joined Widodo on the palace veranda.

A brass band, troops and children in traditional Indonesian clothing welcomed the first papal visit in 35 years.

In his remarks to officials, Francis compared Indonesia's human diversity to the archipelago's 17,000 islands.

He said everyone contributes something special to form “a magnificent mosaic in which each tile is an irreplaceable element in the creation of a magnificent, original and valuable work.”

Yet Francis warned that such diversity could also become a source of conflict in a country with the world's largest Muslim population, apparently referring to the periods of intolerance that have flared up in Indonesia in recent years, as well as to broader concerns about the conflicts raging around the world.

“This wise and delicate balance between the diversity of cultures and different ideological visions and the ideals that consolidate unity must be continually protected from imbalances,” Francis said.

Political leaders have a special role to play in this, he said, but he also assured Widodo that the Catholic Church is committed to increased interreligious dialogue.

He said: “This is essential to address common challenges, including combating extremism and intolerance, which distort religion and seek to impose their views through deception and violence.”

At the regional level, internal conflict in Myanmar has forced more than 700,000 Rohingya to flee to Bangladesh, from where thousands have fled overcrowded, violent camps to countries such as Indonesia.

In addition, Indonesia regularly condemns Israel's war against the militant Hamas group in the Gaza Strip, and Mr Widodo thanked Francis for the Vatican's support for Palestinian civilians.

“The war benefits no one, it only brings suffering and misery to ordinary people,” said Nr Widodo.

“So let’s celebrate the differences we have. Let’s accept and empower each other
Tolerance to achieve peace, to achieve a better world for all humanity.”

Francis arrived in Jakarta on Tuesday to begin the longest, furthest and most difficult journey of his pontificate, given his numerous health problems.

At the age of 87, he is in a wheelchair, regularly suffers from bronchitis and has undergone several operations for intestinal problems.

By the end of the trip on September 13, Francis will have flown 32,717 kilometers and visited Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, East Timor and Singapore – one of the longest papal trips ever in terms of the number of days of travel and the distances covered.

Francis made a good impression on Wednesday and demonstrated his typical sense of humor even as he had to stand for long periods and transfer several times from a wheelchair to chairs and into a car.

Speaking to Widodo and Indonesian dignitaries, he praised Indonesia's relatively high birth rate, but lamented that in the West “some prefer a cat or a small dog.”

At the end of a private meeting with his Jesuit brothers, he joked: “The police have come to pick me up.”

He warned priests and nuns against greed and said: “The devil comes through your pockets.”

In the afternoon, Francis met with Indonesian clergy and nuns at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption in Jakarta for his traditional motivational speech to the local church.

Although only three percent of Indonesia's 275 million people are Catholic, the country is home to the largest Catholic seminary in the world and has long been a major source of priests and nuns for the Catholic Church.

In his address to the priests, nuns and lay church representatives, Francis further stressed the importance of promoting greater fraternity between people of different faiths and cultures.

“This is important because proclaiming the Gospel does not mean imposing our faith or opposing it to others, but giving and sharing the joy of encountering Christ, always with great respect and fraternal affection for everyone,” he said.