The Pope’s Apostolic Journey to Asia and Oceania

First Stop: Indonesia

In Indonesia, Catholics are a very small minority with 3.1% of the population, or around 8 million faithful out of 273 million Indonesians, 87% of whom are Muslims. Christians account for a total of 10% of the country's moderate Islamic population. Indonesia has almost 17,000 islands and over 1,300 ethnic groups.

The day after his arrival in Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia, the Supreme Pontiff went to the Istana Merdeka Presidential Palace, where, after a private visit with President Joko Widodo, he addressed the country's authorities. In his address, Francis praised the “wise and delicate balance” of the Indonesian State's inspiring principles, reflected in the national motto “United in Diversity.”

“Sometimes violent tensions arise within countries because those in power want to make everything uniform, imposing their vision even in matters that should be left to the autonomy of individuals or groups,” he asserted, calling on politicians to defend “social justice.”

He called for “a more efficient and equitable distribution of social assistance” and more “interreligious dialogue” in order to “remove the imbalances and suffering that still persist in some areas.” He also praised the preamble to the 1945 Constitution, which invokes divine blessing on the nascent Republic of Indonesia.

And he decried social contexts in which “people believe they can or should disregard the need to seek God’s blessing, judging it to be superfluous for human beings and civil society.” Finally, the Pope assured civil authorities of the Catholic Church's willingness to strengthen interreligious dialogue and collaboration with public institutions, insisting that the Church “never proselytises.”

Departing from his prepared text, the Supreme Pontiff criticized Malthusian policies aimed at limiting births. Then he cited Indonesia, where families have “three, four, and five children,” as an “example for all countries,” contrasting these families with those who “prefer to have a cat or a small dog.”

In the afternoon, at Jakarta's Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption, the Holy Father met Indonesia's bishops, priests, deacons, consecrated persons, seminarians, and catechists. “Faith, Fraternity, Compassion”—the motto of this Apostolic Visit to Indonesia—were at the heart of the Pope's address.

The natural riches of a country, he explains to illustrate faith, are “a reminder of God, of his presence in the cosmos and in our lives, as Sacred Scripture teaches us (cf. Gen 1; Sir 42:15; 43:33). Indeed, it is the Lord who gives all this,” he stressed.

Francis declared—as is his habit—that “proclaiming the Gospel” is not “proselytizing,” but simply “giving and sharing the joy of encountering Christ (cf. 1 Pet 3:15-17), always with great respect and fraternal affection for everyone.”

Finally, compassion “compassion consists in drawing close to one another,” which “does not mean being a communist, rather it means charity, it means love.” In conclusion, he encouraged them to remain “strong in faith, open to all in fraternity and close to one another in compassion.”

He explained: “when the wedding guests did not want to come, what did the Lord do? [...] he sent his servants and told them to go to the crossroads of the streets and to bring everyone inside.”

On September 5, Pope Francis took part in an interreligious meeting at the Istiqlal Mosque—the largest in Southeast Asia. He was welcomed under a large tent by the Grand Imam Nasaruddin Umar in front of the immense edifice with its more than 66-metre-high minaret, which can accommodate 120,000 people.

The two then proceeded to the entrance of the underground “Tunnel of Friendship” that links the mosque and the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption. The two are located just a hundred meters apart and are a symbol of dialogue between religions.

In a brief speech in front of the small gallery, dug in 2021, Francis contrasted the illuminating “sign of fraternity” with the darkness of walking alone. He blessed the site, which is not yet open to the public. The Supreme Pontiff did not enter the Istiqlal Mosque, but took part in the interreligious meeting on the esplanade.

In the presence of all the country's religious authorities, he first listened to a young blind Muslim woman able to recite the Quran in its entirety chant a sura, then to a priest who read the parable of the Good Samaritan.

Speaking afterward, Francis urged people to be on guard “against rigidity, fundamentalism and extremism, which are always dangerous and never justifiable.” He hoped that “religious experiences” would never be “reasons for close-mindedness or confrontation.”

To this end, he recommended to “always look deeply,” to find “the one root common to all religious sensitivities,” beyond “visible aspects of religions – the rites, practices and so on.” What religions have in common is “the quest for an encounter with the divine, the thirst for the infinite,“ he insisted. “What really brings us closer is creating a connection in the midst of diversity, cultivating bonds of friendship, care and reciprocity,” he declared.

At the end of the meeting, Pope Francis and Grand Imam Umar—along with representatives of Confucianism, Protestantism, traditional religions, Buddhism, and Hinduism—signed a Joint Declaration aimed at “Fostering Religious Harmony for the Sake of Humanity.”

Modelled on the Document on Human Fraternity, signed in 2019 in Abu Dhabi with the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, Sheikh Ahmad Al-Tayyeb, the signatories pledge to help society “defeat the culture of violence and indifference” and adopt a common position on defending the environment and against “dehumanization.”

In the late afternoon, the Pope celebrated Mass in the Gelora Bung Karno Stadium in the presence of 80,000 faithful inside and nearly 20,000 outside in front of screens to follow the celebration live.

He said in his homily: “let us not forget that the first task of the disciple [...] is not to clothe ourselves with an outwardly perfect religiosity, do extraordinary things or engage in grandiose undertakings. No, the first task, the first step, instead, is to know how to listen to the only word that saves, the word of Jesus.”

He continued: “Guided by the word of the Lord, I encourage you to sow seeds of love, confidently tread the path of dialogue, continue to show your goodness and kindness with your characteristic smile. [...] And be builders of peace. Be builders of hope!”

Second Stop: Papua New Guinea

Arriving on September 6 in Port Moresby, capital of Papua New Guinea, the Holy Father was welcomed by the Deputy Prime Minister and received military honors, greeted by 21 cannon shots. Almost the entire population of this country, 98%, is Christian, 27% of whom are Catholic. The Protestant religion is in the majority in this country, which is also steeped in animist traditions.

The following day, September 7, the Pope paid a private visit to Governor-General Bob Bofeng Dadae. He then moved on to “APEC Haus,” where he was welcomed by Prime Minister James Marape, as well as traditional musicians and dancers. In his address, the Pope urged the country's authorities to “improve infrastructure, address the health and educational needs of the population and increase opportunities for dignified work.”

Referring to the territory's land and sea resources, which are rich in gas, gold, and minerals, he spoke out on behalf of local populations, who are often victims of land grabbing by international companies, with the support of the government. “These goods are destined by God for the entire community,” he stressed. He added that “it is only right that the needs of local people are given due consideration when distributing the proceeds and employing workers, in order to improve their living conditions.”

Beyond the “abundance of material goods,” the Pope recommended cultivating “Spiritual values” to avoid giving in to the “being corrupted.” “Pray” is the motto of this apostolic visit, for “a people that prays has a future, drawing strength and hope from above,” he explained.

He enjoined “all those who profess to be Christians” not to reduce faith to “the observance of rituals and precepts,” but that their faith should “be marked instead by love, love of Jesus Christ and following him as a disciple.” Departing from his prepared text, the Pope also stressed the place of women in society, and the importance of not forgetting their role “at the forefront of human and spiritual development,” while they are often victims of violence and discredited.

In the afternoon, Francis visited the Salesian Shrine of Mary Help of Christians. In this church with its choir adorned with shells, he met the bishops of Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands, and 1,500 priests, deacons, consecrated persons, seminarians, and catechists serving 1.5 million Catholics.

In his address, the Supreme Pontiff called on them to reach out to the peripheries, citing “the most deprived segments of urban populations, [...] the most remote and abandoned areas.” He also mentioned people “the marginalized and wounded, both morally and physically, by prejudice and superstition, sometimes to the point of having to risk their lives,” referring to victims of witchcraft and black magic.

Responding to a 68-year-old catechist, James Etavira, who lamented the lack of engagement of young people in the mission, “I do not think there are ‘techniques’ for that. One proven way, however, is to cultivate and share with them our joy of being the Church,” assured Francis.

On September 8, 35,000 faithful attended the Pope's High Mass at Sir John Guise Stadium in Port Moresby. “Through his Son, God wishes to show first of all that he is near and compassionate, that he cares for us and overcomes any distance,” the Pope stressed in his homily. “And the Lord says to each one of you, ‘be opened’! The most important thing is to open ourselves to God and our brothers and sisters, and to open ourselves to the Gospel, making it the compass of our lives,” the Pope said.

In the early afternoon, he flew to Vanimo, a town of 10,000 inhabitants in the north of the island, where he was welcomed on the Esplanade near Holy Cross Cathedral by 20,000 faithful. “You live in a magnificent land, enriched by a great variety of plants and birds,” exclaimed the Pope.

He added that “The Lord entrusts this richness to you [...] so that you too may live united in harmony with him and with your brothers and sisters,” inevitably reminding us: “respecting our common home and looking after one another.”

The Supreme Pontiff encouraged Catholics, in a society heavily marked by tribalism, “to overcome divisions – personal, family and tribal –, to drive out fear, superstition and magic from people’s hearts.” He also called for “an end to destructive behaviours such as violence, infidelity, exploitation, alcohol and drug abuse.”

On September 9, at the Sir John Guise Stadium, during his meeting with young people, Francis decided not to follow his speech in order to engage in dialogue with them, and they responded in chorus. In this spontaneous discussion, he urged the young people of this country of over 800 languages to speak “The language of the heart! The language of love! The language of closeness! And also, the language of service.”

Third Stop: Timor-Leste

On September 9, the Pope arrived in the early afternoon at the airport in Dili, capital of Timor-Leste, a small State at the eastern end of the Sunda Islands that has been independent from Indonesia since 2002. The President of the Republic of Timor-Leste, José Manuel Ramos-Horta, winner of the 1996 Nobel Peace Prize, welcomed him along with the country's Prime Minister, Xanana Gusmão. Timor-Leste’s population of 1.3 million is 90% Catholic.

To reach the Nunciature in Dili, the Argentine Pontiff rode in a Popemobile through an impressive and joyful crowd, before reaching the Presidential Palace in the late afternoon. There, he delivered a speech to the local authorities. He praised the “assiduous efforts to achieve full reconciliation with your brothers and sisters in Indonesia, an attitude that found its first and purest source in the teachings of the Gospel.”

He referred to the current difficulties of this small country, which is going through an economic crisis, with the challenges posed by emigration, poverty, and “excessive use of alcohol by young people. [...] There is also the phenomenon of joining certain gangs, which are trained in martial arts; but instead of using this knowledge in the service of the defenceless, they use it as an opportunity to showcase the fleeting and harmful power of violence”—65% of the population is under 30.

To solve these problems, the Supreme Pontiff highlighted the solution offered by the Church's social doctrine: the necessary training of “those who will be called upon to be the country’s leaders in the not-too-distant future.”

He added: “The Church’s social doctrine is not an ideology, instead it is based on fraternity. It is a doctrine that must promote; it promotes the development of peoples, especially the poorest.” Finally, the Pope entrusted “Timor-Leste and all its people to the protection of the Immaculate Conception.”

On September 10, Francis met with the bishops, priests, deacons, consecrated persons, seminarians, and catechists of Timor-Leste, gathered at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Dili. “[I]n the heart of Christ the ‘existential peripheries’ are the centre,” Pope Francis affirmed in his address, delivered in Spanish.

“[Y]ou are missionary disciples who bear the fragrance of the Holy Spirit in order to ‘intoxicate’ the lives of the holy faithful people of God,” he declared, while also asking priests and bishops not to think themselves superior to the people. He cited the scourges of alcoholism, violence, and lack of respect for the dignity of women.

“The Gospel of Jesus has the power to transform these dark realities and generate a new society,” Francis explained. He invited his listeners to deepen their knowledge of Christian doctrine by not allowing themselves to be stuck in “archaic and sometimes superstitious practices,” referring in particular to the question of superstitions and the cult of the dead.

In the afternoon, Pope Francis went to the Esplanade of Taci Tolu to celebrate Mass, in the presence of 600,000 faithful. In his homily in Spanish, Pope Francis praised the country's youth. “In every place, the birth of a son is a shining moment of joy and celebration,” he confided, commenting on the prophet Isaias: “A child has been born for us, a son given to us.”

In praise of littleness, the Pope offered Timorese Catholics this encouragement: “let us not be afraid to make ourselves small before God, and before each other, let us not be afraid to lose our lives, to give up our time, to revise our schedules and to scale down our plans when necessary, not in order to diminish them but to make them even more beautiful through the gift of ourselves and the acceptance of others.”

“Today, we venerate Our Lady as Queen, that is, the mother of a King, Jesus, who chose to be born small, to make himself our brother, [...] Mary understood this, to the point of choosing to remain small all her life, to make herself ever smaller, serving, praying, withdrawing to make room for Jesus, even when this cost her much,” he said.

Last Stop: Singapore

On September 11, Francis arrived at the international airport of the city-state of Singapore in the early afternoon. 19% of the city's 5.6 million inhabitants are Christian, but the majority religion is Buddhism, the faith of Singaporeans of Malay or Chinese origin.

On September 12, he was received at the Parliament House, where he met the President of the Republic of Singapore, Tharman Shanmugaratnam, and then Prime Minister Lawrence Wong. Afterward, the Supreme Pontiff went to the National University of Singapore to meet the authorities and address them.

In the late afternoon, he celebrated Mass in the Singapore Sports Hub National Stadium. On September 13, Pope Francis took part in an interreligious meeting with young people at Catholic Junior College, and delivered his final address.