Minister of Religion Yaqut Cholil Qoumas officially announced Pope Francis upcoming visit to Indonesia, scheduled for 3rd September 2024. This announcement was corroborated by Minister of State Secretary Pratikno on Wednesday, 3rd April 2024.
Yaqut emphasized Indonesia’s commitment to maintaining tolerance and peace among various religious communities, including indigenous faiths. “We hope that Pope Francis will witness this diversity during his visit to Indonesia,” stated the Minister of Religion.
Romo V. Adi Prasojo, Secretary General of the Archdiocese of Jakarta, described Pope Francis’s forthcoming visit in September 2024 as a historic event. Notably, the Vatican was among the earliest nations to recognize Indonesia’s independence, alongside Egypt, Iraq, Syria, and India.
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“Yes, it was indeed a state visit,” confirmed Pratikno at the Presidential Palace in Jakarta on Wednesday (3/4). He further mentioned that President Joko Widodo would personally welcome Pope Francis at the State Palace, accompanied by Retno Marsudi, the Minister of Foreign Affairs.
Before this, Romo Adi Prasojo, Secretary General of the Archdiocese of Jakarta, disclosed the plans for Pope Francis’s visit to Indonesia in September 2024. Adi emphasized that Francis’s visit was not solely in his capacity as the leader of the Catholic Church but also as the head of the Vatican State.
In addition to his visit to Indonesia, Pope Francis is also scheduled to visit Papua New Guinea and Timor Leste. These destinations highlight Indonesia’s religious diversity, as noted by the Pew Research Center, with 242 million Muslims and 29 million Christians, including 8.5 million Catholics.
Previous Popes have also visited Indonesia. Pope Paul VI visited Jakarta in 1970, and again in 1989, while Pope John Paul II toured Jakarta and four other cities.
