Excitement Builds in Indonesia Ahead of Pope Francis’s Historic Visit

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Pope Francis is set to begin a two-week tour of the Asia Pacific region, starting in Indonesia on Tuesday. This will mark the first papal visit to Indonesia in more than 30 years. The pope's tour will also include visits to Papua New Guinea, East Timor, and Singapore.

During his visit to Indonesia, Pope Francis will visit Jakarta’s Istiqlal Mosque and the Tunnel of Friendship, an underground passage built to symbolize interfaith cooperation between Muslims and Catholics. He will meet with the grand imam, participate in an interfaith gathering, and lead a mass for approximately 80,000 people at Jakarta’s Gelora Bung Karno Stadium.

In Medan, the capital of North Sumatra Province, Catholics account for about 5 percent of the population, while Protestants make up about 20 percent. The Immaculate Conception of Mary Cathedral in Medan is among the locations preparing for the pope’s visit.

Alexander Arifianto, a senior fellow at Nanyang Technological University, stated that the visit provides an opportunity to demonstrate religious cooperation in Indonesia. The event is expected to include participation from Muslim organizations, including Nahdlatul Ulama, one of the largest Islamic organizations in the country.

Security measures have been put in place for the pope’s visit, particularly at key locations such as the Immaculate Conception of Mary Cathedral.