STORY: Indonesia is gearing up to welcome Pope Francis, who is scheduled to arrive in its capital Jakarta on Tuesday (September 3) on the first leg of the longest trip of his papacy.
The pope is scheduled to participate at an interfaith meeting at a mosque in Jakarta that has an unusual feature — a tunnel connecting it to the city’s Catholic cathedral, as part of a push for interfaith harmony on his 12-day Asia-Pacific tour.
“Frankly, I have a different religion but I like it… it means mutual respect,” said Sunyoto, a 57-year-old private company worker who only provided his first name. Only about 3% of Indonesia’s population of 280 million are Catholic, while nearly 90% are Muslim.
The pope is also scheduled to meet outgoing President Joko Widodo and hold a mass service at a Jakarta stadium as part of his visit to Indonesia. He will then visit Papua New Guinea, East Timor, and Singapore.
