Pope Francis’ Call For Unity And Tolerance While Visiting Indonesia – OpEd

Pope Francis stepped abroad on a rigorous 11-day journey across Southeast Asia and Oceania, visiting Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, East Timor, and Singapore. The trip, beginning on September 4, 2024, marks one of the longest and most challenging of his pontificate, testing both his physical stamina and health. During his first full day in Indonesia, the Pope emphasized the nation's motto of harmony in diversity and urged it to confront and counteract rising religious intolerance.

Francis's arrival in Indonesia was met with a grand welcome. At the presidential palace, he was received by outgoing President Joko Widodo and President-elect Prabowo Subianto. The ceremonial reception was marked by the booming of cannons and the display of traditional Indonesian culture, including a marching band and children dressed in traditional attire. This is a significant visit, as Francis is the first Pope to visit Indonesia in 35 years. His presence symbolizes the Vatican's commitment to engaging with nations that host diverse religious communities.

In his address to Indonesian leaders, Francis likened the country's cultural and religious diversity to the archipelago's vast array of islands. He highlighted how each island, like each cultural and religious group, adds to the creation of a magnificent mosaic, a unique and precious work that requires all its components to maintain its beauty and integrity. This analogy underscores the Pope's appreciation for Indonesia's pluralism but also serves as a caution. Diversity, he noted, can become a source of division and conflict if not carefully managed. This warning seemed directed not only at Indonesia, which has seen recent episodes of religious intolerance, but also at the broader global community grappling with similar issues.

The Pope's remarks stressed the importance of safeguarding the delicate balance between cultural and ideological diversity and the unifying ideals that hold a nation together. He emphasized that this balance must be actively maintained and defended against forces that seek to disrupt it. Political leaders, he argued, play a crucial role in this effort. However, he also assured Widodo of the Catholic Church's commitment to fostering interreligious dialogue, which he sees as essential to addressing shared challenges such as extremism and intolerance. These issues, when driven by a distorted interpretation of religion, can lead to violence and deception.

Francis's concerns about religious intolerance are timely. Indonesia, despite its reputation as a moderate Muslim-majority nation, has experienced several incidents that have marred this image. In 2021, a militant Islamic couple carried out a suicide bombing outside a Catholic cathedral in Sulawesi during Palm Sunday Mass, injuring at least 20 people. Such acts of violence highlight the ongoing challenges that Indonesia faces in maintaining its tradition of religious tolerance.

The Pope's visit also brought attention to the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Myanmar, where over 1.3 million Rohingya Muslims have fled to Bangladesh due to internal conflict. Many of these refugees have sought refuge in countries like Indonesia. Upon his arrival in Jakarta, Francis met with a Rohingya refugee, signaling his support for refugees and advocating for their humane treatment. This meeting underscores the Pope's broader message of compassion and acceptance towards those displaced by conflict, a principle he consistently upholds in his papal missions.

The visit highlighted Indonesia's longstanding support for the Palestinian cause. Widodo expressed gratitude to Francis for the Vatican's continued backing of the Palestinians, especially in the context of the ongoing war in Gaza. Widodo echoed the Pope's sentiments on the futility of war, emphasizing that it only brings suffering and misery to ordinary people. He called for the celebration of differences and the strengthening of tolerance to achieve peace and build a better world for all humanity.

Francis's trip to Indonesia is not just a diplomatic mission but also a pastoral one. Despite his age and health challenges—at 87, the Pope uses a wheelchair, suffers from recurring bronchitis, and has undergone multiple surgeries—he maintained a full schedule. His packed itinerary included meetings with Indonesian clergy, nuns, and seminarians at Jakarta's Our Lady of the Assumption Cathedral, one of the most significant Catholic sites in the country. The Pope's resilience and determination were evident as he stood for long periods during official ceremonies, greeted government delegations, and delivered speeches.

The highlight of Francis's visit to Indonesia is his participation in an interfaith meeting at Jakarta's iconic Istiqlal mosque, where representatives from the six officially recognized religions in Indonesia—Islam, Buddhism, Confucianism, Hinduism, Catholicism, and Protestantism—gathered. This meeting is a crucial part of the Pope's mission to promote interreligious dialogue and highlight Indonesia's tradition of religious tolerance. This tradition has been increasingly challenged by incidents of intolerance and discrimination.

From January 2021 to July 2024, Amnesty International documented at least 123 cases of religious intolerance in Indonesia, including the rejection, closure, or destruction of places of worship and physical attacks on individuals. These acts were reportedly carried out by various perpetrators, including government officials, local residents, and community organizations. Amnesty International expressed hope that Pope Francis's visit would inspire Indonesia to end such acts of intolerance and uphold the religious freedom enshrined in its constitution. Usman Hamid, executive director of Amnesty International Indonesia, emphasized that the Pope's visit could play a significant role in encouraging the country to respect the rights of all religious minorities.

In his address to Indonesian clergy, Francis offered words of encouragement to the local church. Indonesia, despite being a predominantly Muslim country, is home to the world's largest Catholic seminary and has been a significant source of priests and nuns for the global Catholic Church. The growth in the overall Catholic population has not been matched by a corresponding increase in vocations to the priesthood or religious life. The Pope's visit aimed to reinvigorate the Catholic community in Indonesia and inspire a new generation of religious leaders.

The Catholic Church views Asia, along with Africa, as the future of the faith. In these regions, the number of baptized Catholics and individuals pursuing religious vocations continues to grow, in contrast to declining numbers in traditionally Catholic regions such as Europe and the Americas. Although Indonesia's Catholic population is small compared to that of India or the Philippines, the country remains an essential part of the Church's mission in Asia. According to the latest Vatican statistics, as of December 31, 2022, Indonesia had 5,903 Catholic priests serving a population of 8.29 million Catholics, with 4,024 seminarians in training. These figures reflect the vitality of the Catholic community in Indonesia, even as the number of seminarians in Asia has begun to level off or decline in recent years.

Pope Francis's visit to Indonesia is a demonstration to his commitment to fostering religious dialogue and promoting peace in a world increasingly divided by conflict and intolerance. His call for harmony in diversity resonates not only in Indonesia but across the globe, as nations grapple with the challenges of maintaining unity in the face of growing cultural and religious differences. By emphasizing the importance of dialogue, mutual respect, and acceptance, Francis offers a vision of a world where diversity is not a source of division, but a foundation for peace and cooperation.

As the Pope continues his journey through Southeast Asia and Oceania, his message of tolerance and peace will likely inspire both religious and political leaders to work towards a more just and harmonious world. His visit to Indonesia, a country that embodies the complexities and challenges of religious diversity, serves as a powerful reminder that true harmony can only be achieved through understanding, respect, and a commitment to the common good. Pope Francis's visit to Indonesia is more than just a diplomatic tour; it is a call to action for all people of faith to embrace diversity and work together to overcome the forces of intolerance and division. As the world faces unprecedented challenges, the Pope's message of harmony in diversity offers a path towards a more peaceful and just future for all humanity.