As Pope arrives in Indonesia, Muslim groups highlight Palestinian suffering

Pope Francis, the head of the Catholic Church, arrived in Indonesia on Tuesday, the first stop on a four-nation tour to Southeast Asia and Papua New Guinea – which will be his longest foreign trip since he became pontiff in 2013.

The plane carrying Francis, 87, landed at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport at about noon. 

Upon disembarking in a wheelchair, he was greeted by Indonesian Minister of Religious Affairs Yaqut Cholil Qoumas. The pontiff then traveled in a motorcade to the Vatican Embassy, where will stay during his Indonesian visit, which runs until Sept. 6.

More than 9,000 personnel from the Indonesian National Armed Forces and the National Police have been mobilized to ensure the safety of the Catholic leader during his stay in the Muslim-majority country, where a little under 3% of the 280 million population is Catholic and 7% is Protestant.

Francis is scheduled to travel on to Papua New Guinea, Timor-Leste and Singapore as part of his 12-day trip.

Indonesia’s two largest Islamic organizations welcomed Francis to the country and expressed hope that his visit would promote interfaith harmony and advance global peace, including efforts to address the conflict between Israel and Hamas militants in Gaza.

Muhammadiyah and Nahdlatul Ulama, which together claim a membership of more than 150 million, urged the Indonesian president, in his scheduled meeting with Francis, to highlight the country’s commitment to world peace, especially its efforts towards Palestinian statehood.

In a video statement, Yahya Cholil Staquf Nahdlatul Ulama’s chairman, welcomed the Pope to “the land of tolerance and brotherhood, the nation of Bhinneka Tunggal Ika” – one of Indonesia’s founding principles, which means “Unity in Diversity.”

As head of the Catholic church, the pontiff could be a global focus in raising the issue of statehood for the Palestinian people, Nahdlatul Ulama board member Ahmad Fahrur Rozi said.

“[If] there is an opportunity for us to meet, we will discuss Palestinian independence, because we are serious about wanting to help the Palestinian people’s struggle,” Fahrur told BenarNews.

In Gaza, nearly 41,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli air strikes and a ground offensive in the last nearly 11 months, after Hamas militants launched an attack that killed some 1,100 people in southern Israel.

The chairman of Muhammadiyah, Haedar Nashir, told BenarNews the Pope’s visit showed the importance of Indonesia as a country with a Muslim-majority population.

Haedar said he expected President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo to convey to the Catholic leader the urgency of ending the conflict.

“It is important for Indonesia to use the meeting with Pope Francis as a momentum to take the initiative and develop a more proactive role in world peace in seeking a permanent solution for the future of Palestine,” Haedar told BenarNews.

Francis is scheduled to meet Indonesian President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo at the Presidential Palace, attend an interfaith meeting at the Istiqlal Mosque – the largest in Southeast Asia – and engage with Catholic religious leaders at the adjacent Jakarta Cathedral. 

The papal visit to Indonesia has been planned for several years but was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Jokowi said at a press conference after a meeting he held on preparations for Francis’ arrival, according to a statement issued by the Indonesian Cabinet Secretariat.

“Indonesia and the Vatican share a commitment to fostering peace, brotherhood and the well-being of humanity,” the Indonesian president added.