Pope Francis displayed his humility during his visit to Indonesia choosing to stay at the Vatican Embassy in Jakarta rather than a five-star hotel.
The Pope will spend four days and three nights, from Sept. 3-6, in Indonesia as part of a 12-day Asia-Pacific tour.
“He will reside at the Vatican Embassy in Indonesia, while his entourage will stay in hotels,” confirmed Archbishop of Jakarta, Cardinal Ignatius Suharyo, on Monday.
In addition to declining a hotel stay, Pope Francis opted not to use a luxury car during his time in Indonesia. Instead, he chose a Toyota Innova, a vehicle commonly used by Indonesians.
“The civil car used by the Pope is a Toyota Innova Zenix,” said Ignasius Jonan, Chairman of the Committee for Pope Francis’ Visit to Indonesia, at the Jakarta Cathedral on Monday.
During his visit, Pope Francis, as head of the Vatican State, will conduct a state visit to the Presidential Palace and meet with President Joko Widodo. The Pope is also scheduled to visit Jakarta Cathedral and Istiqlal Mosque, among other activities.
The Indonesian Church is preparing for a Mass celebration at Gelora Bung Karno Stadium (GBK) on Thursday, which will be attended by Catholics from various regions.
The Mass at GBK is one of the key events in Pope Francis’ visit, expected to draw large crowds. Organizers have urged all attendees to follow guidelines to ensure the event runs smoothly. Those unable to secure a spot at GBK are encouraged to watch the event on television or YouTube.
A total of 9,030 police and military personnel are being deployed to secure the venue.
Pope Francis departed from Rome on Monday, en route to Jakarta, marking the beginning of his 12-day Asia-Pacific tour across four countries. The Pope is expected to arrive at Soekarno-Hatta Airport on Tuesday at 11:30 a.m. local time.
A total of 270 personnel from the Jakarta Metro Police, Indonesian Military (TNI), and Aviation Security are deployed to secure the perimeter around the airport.
The 87-year-old Pontiff departed from Leonardo Da Vinci International Airport in Fiumicino, Italy, on an overnight flight covering 11,351 kilometers over more than 13 hours to reach Indonesia’s capital. After his stay in Indonesia until Friday, Sept. 6, 2024, the Pope is scheduled to visit Papua New Guinea, Timor-Leste, and Singapore before returning to Rome on Sept. 13.
Pope Francis will be the third Pope to visit Indonesia. Previously, Pope Paul VI was welcomed by President Soeharto on Dec. 3-4, 1970. Indonesia was also visited by Pope John Paul II from Oct. 9-14, 1989.
Indonesia will become the 66th country visited by Pope Francis since the beginning of his papacy in 2013. The theme for Pope Francis’ visit to Indonesia is "Faith, Brotherhood, and Compassion."
At the Immaculate Conception of Mary Cathedral in the Indonesian city of Medan, the mood at Sunday mass was unusually excited.
Pope Francis, the head of the Catholic Church, is set to begin a two-week tour of Asia Pacific, which will start in Indonesia on Tuesday and take in Papua New Guinea, East Timor and Singapore.
Father Joseph Gultom told Al Jazeera that Indonesian Catholics were “very enthusiastic” about Francis’s visit, the first by a pope in more than 30 years.
“Of course, I am so happy,” he said. “The pope is our leader and it is an occasion for people to improve their belief in the Catholic Church and an important symbol of the Catholic faith in Indonesia, which is majority Muslim. It is a significant moment for us.”
Indonesia has a population of more than 270 million people and has six officially recognised religions including Catholicism, Protestantism, Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam and Confucianism.
Francis will be only the third pope to visit Indonesia, after Pope Paul VI in 1970 and Pope John Paul II in 1989. After arriving in Jakarta on Tuesday, Pope Francis will tour the capital’s Istiqlal Mosque as well as the Tunnel of Friendship – an underground tunnel built in 2020 that runs between the mosque and the city’s Catholic cathedral as a symbol of interfaith cooperation.
He will also meet the country’s grand imam, Nasaruddin Umar, and attend an interfaith gathering, as well as hold a mass for an estimated 80,000 worshippers at Jakarta’s Gelora Bung Karno Stadium complex; a venue usually reserved for sporting and political events.
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