Pope Francis lands in Indonesia

Jakarta - Pope Francis has big plans for his 45th trip abroad: In eleven days, the 87-year-old will visit four countries in the Asia-Pacific region. His first stop is Indonesia.

Published on 03.09.2024 at 10:24 –

Pope Francis landed in Jakarta shortly before 11.20 a.m. (local time) on Tuesday. Indonesia's capital is the first stop on his Asia-Pacific trip. The Pope's flight, operated by Italian airline ITA, had taken off from Rome's Fiumicino Airport the previous evening. The head of the church was greeted with military honours at Soekarno-Hatta Airport.

Francis is about to embark on the longest journey of his term of office: in eleven days, he will also visit Papua New Guinea, East Timor and Singapore. In addition to encouragement for local Catholics, the 87-year-old's 45th trip abroad will focus on dialogue with Islam and the consequences of climate change.

The official appointments begin after a day of rest on Wednesday. Francis will then meet representatives from politics, society and religion. One of the highlights of his stay in Indonesia will be the interreligious meeting in Jakarta's Istiqlal Mosque. The Pope is expected in Papua New Guinea's capital Port Moresby on Friday. He will cover a total of 32,784 kilometres by air between now and 13 September. (KNA)