NEWSWEEK – Pope Francis arrived in Indonesia on Tuesday at the start of a tour of Asia.
After an overnight flight from Rome, the Pope was wheeled off the plane in his wheelchair in Jakarta.
Indonesia is the first stop on a grueling tour for the 87-year-old that will also take him to Papua New Guinea, East Timor and Singapore.
The Pope hopes to promote interfaith harmony between Catholics and Muslims in the country.
There have been growing concerns about the Pope’s health since Easter, when he opted to skip reading a homily at the last minute at a Palm Sunday Mass held in St. Peter’s Square.
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The Pope was greeted at the airport in Jakarta by two children wearing traditional clothes who handed him a bouquet of vegetables, fruits, spices and flowers.
Francis will then meet with a group of refugees, migrants and sick people at the Vatican residence in Jakarta later on Tuesday.
On Wednesday we will visit the country’s political leaders and hold meetings with Indonesian clergy who are helping to fuel the growth of the Catholic Church in Asia.
Indonesian President Joko Widodo welcomed the pope, saying in a broadcast statement that “Indonesia and the Vatican have the same commitment to fostering peace and brotherhood, as well as ensuring the welfare of humanity.”
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On Thursday the Pope will participate in an interfaith meeting in Jakarta’s Istiqlal mosque with representatives of the six religions that are officially recognized in Indonesia:
Islam, Buddhism, Confucianism, Hinduism, Catholicism and Protestantism.
The mosque is the largest in Southeast Asia, and sits opposite the capital’s main Catholic cathedral, Our Lady of Assumption, close enough that the Muslim call to prayer can be heard during Mass …