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06-09-2024
JAKARTA: Only rockstars and presidents can usually fill Indonesia’s national stadium, but on Thursday it was octogenarian Pope Francis who drew more than 80,000 fans to a Catholic Mass in the world’s largest Muslim-majority nation.
The event was the high point of the 87-year-old pope’s four days in the capital, Jakarta, on the first stop of a 12-day tour of Southeast Asia and Oceania, with visits to East Timor, Singapore and Papua New Guinea.
“The Pope’s presence is like Jesus’ presence,” said Indonesian transgender woman Mami Yuli, wearing a sparkly dress and feathered headress, one of the thousands of Indonesian Christians who gathered to hear the Pope’s rousing homily.
“Given his important message of tolerance, we hope the church and the people can judge us positively,” she added, speaking of the group that faces discrimination from religious conservatives.
“We endure a lot of pressure and that limits our movement as transwomen in Indonesia.”
Catholic nuns wearing their habits, students and the elderly crowded into Gelora Bung Karno Stadium, with church officials saying 87,000 tickets for the Mass were distributed across the world’s largest archipelago.
Earlier, the pontiff had visited Jakarta’s Istiqlal Mosque to sign a declaration on tackling climate change and promoting interfaith dialogue to resolve conflict.
Christians are a small minority in Indonesia, where Muslims make up 87% of a population of 280 million. The Southeast Asian nation recognises six official religions, and religious freedom is enshrined in its constitution.
Speaking from a white-covered stage, with a golden cross on the backdrop, the pope urged his listeners to always strive for fraternity.
“I encourage you to sow seeds of love, confidently tread the path of dialogue, continue to show your goodness and kindness,” he said. “Be builders of unity. Be builders of peace.”
Francis met Indonesian President Joko Widodo on Wednesday, and urged political leaders to guard against religious extremism.
In a gesture of respect the government suggested that national broadcasters could skip airing the Islamic call to prayer on Thursday afternoon, running it on television in the text below instead, to avoid disrupting the Mass he celebrated.
“What’s most important to me is that he’s humble and full of joy,” said Sister Maria Ambrosia, who travelled hundreds of kilometres from the island of Sumatra to attend. “I have tons of hope and happiness.”
Yesterday, Pope Francis urged political leaders in Indonesia, the world’s most populous Muslim-majority country, to guard against religious extremism, which he said distorted people’s beliefs through “deception and violence”.
On a packed first full day of his longest ever overseas journey that includes nine days in Southeast Asia, where Christians are a small minority, the pontiff also met local Catholics and asked them not to force their faith on others.
In a speech to Indonesia’s political leaders, Francis said the Catholic Church would increase its efforts toward inter-religious dialogue in hopes of helping tamp down extremism.
“In this way, prejudices can be eliminated, and a climate of mutual respect and trust can grow,” the 87-year-old pope said in an address at Jakarta’s presidential palace.
“This is indispensable for meeting common challenges, including that of countering extremism and intolerance, which through the distortion of religion attempt to impose their views by using deception and violence,” said Francis.
About 87% of Indonesia’s population of 280 million is Muslim. Freedom of religion is guaranteed in the country’s constitution. (Int’l Monitoring Desk)
