Pope Francis’ Historic Visit to Remain in the Hearts of Indonesians for Long

Jayanty Nada Shofa
September 6, 2024 | 9:34 am
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Istiqlal Mosque Grand Imam Nasaruddin Umar kisses Pope Francis' head at the Istiqlal Mosque in Jakarta on Sep. 5, 2024. (Antara Photo/Dhemas Reviyanto)
Istiqlal Mosque Grand Imam Nasaruddin Umar kisses Pope Francis' head at the Istiqlal Mosque in Jakarta on Sep. 5, 2024. (Antara Photo/Dhemas Reviyanto)

Jakarta. “Viva il Papa! Viva il Papa! Viva Papa Francesco! Viva Papa Francesco!”

Those words have become something that we would hear often during Pope Francis’s highly anticipated visit to Jakarta. Crowds of Indonesian Catholics would chant the slogan -- which translates into “Long Live the Pope! Long Live Pope Francis!”-- on top of their lungs whenever the Argentine was close. Many of them would try to shake hands with the pope and have his blessings. The organizers said around 100,000 Catholics from all over the country filled both Madya Stadium and Gelora Bung Karno Stadium on Thursday evening for the pope-led grand mass. That did not include the worshippers who joined the mass through online live streams from their respective churches.

It should be no surprise that people --both young and old -- were trying to seize the rare opportunity of seeing and hearing the Catholic Church leader in person. Pope Francis became the first Catholic church leader to visit the multifaith country in decades -- and the third one so far to do so. Pope Paul VI became the first pope to greet the Indonesian Catholics back in 1970. Soeharto was the president at the time. Indonesia had another papal visit by Pope John Paul II in 1989. It took almost three decades for another pope to set foot in Indonesia. 

‘Bhinneka Tunggal Ika’
It goes without saying that “unity in diversity” had become a major theme in this papal visit. 

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The archipelagic Indonesia is home to over 270 million people. While Muslims largely make up the country’s population, around 8.5 million Indonesians identify as Catholics. The government data showed that Indonesia's interfaith harmony index stood at 76.02 --  which is considered a "high score". Over the past years, the index had crossed the 70 mark, although the score dropped to 67.46 in 2020, according to the Religious Affairs Ministry. 

Almost in every chance he got, the 87-year-old pope would bring up “Bhinneka Tunggal Ika” -- including in his historic meeting with President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo. The slogan is Indonesia’s national motto that envisions its people living side by side peacefully regardless of their religious and cultural backgrounds. 

Pope Francis’ trip to the Istiqlal Mosque painted a heartwarming picture of Indonesia’s interreligious harmony. The pope visited the Tunnel of Friendship -- an underground passageway that connects the Istiqlal and the adjacent Jakarta Cathedral. It was also on that day that readings of Quran passages and the Luke of the Gospel filled the grounds of the Istiqlal Mosque. The Istiqlal Mosque’s Grand Imam Nasaruddin Umar kissed the pope on top of the head, twice. Pope Francis responded with hand kisses -- such gestures became another strong message of interfaith harmony. The religious leaders also inked the Istiqlal Declaration which states that interreligious dialogue is an effective tool to resolve global conflicts. 

At the Istiqlal Mosque, Pope Francis spoke of what he considered Indonesia’s most precious treasure. On many occasions, the country more often than not boasts about its abundant natural resources. Indonesia has the Grasberg which is among the world’s largest gold mines that lies in its easternmost province of Papua. As the pope toured around Jakarta, he never failed to remind Indonesia to maintain and strengthen its interfaith harmony. 

“If it is true that you [Indonesia] host the world’s largest gold mine, do note that the most precious treasure is the willingness to not use differences as a reason to fight one another, but differences shall be harmonized through concord and mutual respect,” the pope said at the Istiqlal. 

A Lesson of Humbleness
Amid the rise of hedonistic lifestyle and greed, the pope's visit has also taught Indonesians a valuable lesson -- not by words, but by his actions. Since his arrival, Pope Francis has caught the attention of many for his modest lifestyle -- something that puts many Indonesians in awe, including those of different faiths. Pope Francis made headlines for choosing to stay at the Vatican Embassy in Jakarta rather than a five-star hotel. He chose to ride an Innova Zenix in favor of luxury vehicles. He also wears a Casio watch that costs around Rp 150,000 ($9.75) based on Indonesian online marketplace prices.

Papua New Guinea is set to be Pope Francis’ next stop on his Asia-Pacific tour. He will depart from Jakarta on Friday. As the Jakarta trip comes to an end, Pope Francis’ historic visit shall remain in the hearts of many Indonesians regardless of their religion. 

Pope Francis’ Historic Visit to Remain in the Hearts of Indonesians for Long
Catholic faithfuls attend the grand mass of the Gelora Bung Karno Madya Stadium led by Pope Francis in Jakarta on Sep. 5, 2024. (Antara Photo/Dhemas Reviyanto)

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