"People who believe they can ask for God's blessing... (I am) hearing that families (here) still have three to four children, and this is a good example for the country," the Pope stated at a meeting with Indonesian government officials, the diplomatic corps, and community leaders at the State Palace, Jakarta, Wednesday.
According to the Pope, families with children are good for the future development of a country.
Meanwhile, he drew attention to several countries having citizens who no longer wanted to have children but were rather keeping pets.
"(It is) because many countries no longer want to have children but have pets," the Pope, who spoke in Latin, stated.
Hearing such a statement, President Joko Widodo, who was seated next to the Pope, beamed while bowing his head in agreement with the Pope's words.
Several officials who also attended the meeting, including Speaker of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) Bambang Soesatyo and the House of Representatives (DPR) Speaker Puan Maharani, also smiled upon hearing the Pope's message.
Pope Francis' visit to Indonesia is part of his Asia-Oceania apostolic journey, taking place on September 3-13, the longest journey he has embarked on during his 11 years of service.
In addition to Indonesia, the esteemed religious figure will also visit Papua New Guinea, Timor-Leste, and Singapore.
Pope Francis will be in Indonesia until September 6, participating in various activities, including an interfaith dialogue at Istiqlal Mosque and a grand mass at Jakarta Cathedral.
He is the third Vatican head of state to visit the country, following Pope Paul VI in 1970 and Pope John Paul II in 1989.
The Pope's decision to include Indonesia in his itinerary stems from the fact that despite being a Muslim-majority country, Indonesia is home to around 8.5 million Catholics who live peacefully alongside their interfaith brothers and sisters.
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Translator: Mentari Dwi Gayati, Yashinta Difa
Editor: Azis Kurmala
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