"We are glad and proud of the visit of Pope Francis to the country. It is indeed historical after the last papal visit (to Indonesia) in 1970," Yaqut remarked here on Tuesday.
Despite being delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Pope's visit finally took place on September 3-6, 2024, after several years of preparation.
"After 35 years, we could finally arrange the visit of the leader of the Catholic Church this year," he remarked.
Yaqut, who once met the Pope in person, said that Francis emphasized the importance of maintaining dialogue between religious communities as the key to promoting tolerance and creating world peace.
"I think this message will later be discussed during a meeting (between Pope Francis) and President Joko Widodo at the Palace," he stated while referring to the agenda of the meeting scheduled on September 4.
In addition, the Pope's agenda to visit the Istiqlal Mosque is considered to be an important momentum in creating peace for religious communities in Indonesia.
"On behalf of the government, I would like to welcome Pope Francis to Indonesia, the land of Pancasila and the land of Bhinneka Tunggal Ika," Yaqut noted while referring to the country's principal and ideological foundation, which means unity in diversity.
Pope Francis arrived in Indonesia via the Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, Tangerang, Banten, on Tuesday at around 11:25 local time.
The leader of the world's Catholic Church will meet President Jokowi on September 4 at the Merdeka Palace.
On Thursday (September 5), the Pope will attend an interfaith gathering at Istiqlal Mosque in Jakarta and meet with beneficiaries of the charitable organization at the Indonesian Bishops' Conference (KWI).
The Pope will also lead a grand-scale mass at the Gelora Bung Karno Main Stadium on the same day.
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Translator: Azmi Syamsul Ma'arif, Yashinta Difa
Editor: Azis Kurmala
Copyright © ANTARA 2024
