Pope Francis has recently wrapped his three-day visit to Jakarta leaving a lasting impression on many Indonesians, including non-Catholics, as the 87-year-old pontiff toured the Muslim-majority country in simplicity and humility – including by using a simple Toyota Innova throughout the visit.
During his stay in the Indonesian capital, the Catholic Church’s leader met with the nation’s President Joko Widodo and led a mass at Jakarta’s Gelora Bung Karno Stadium. He also visited the city’s Istiqlal Mosque – Southeast Asia’s largest and the world’s ninth largest – where he met with other religious leaders.
The last time a pope visited Indonesia was in 1989, when Pope John Paul II toured the Southeast Asian nation for five days, visiting Jakarta, Yogyakarta, Maumere, Medan, as well as Dili, capital city of Timor Leste, which was then still part of Indonesia.
Pope Francis has meanwhile travelled to Papua New Guinea as part of his current tour of Asia, after which he is scheduled to visit Timor Leste and Singapore. (Gilbert Humphrey)
Photo: Vatican News/Vatican Media
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