President Jokowi Warmly Welcomed Pope Francis' Visit to Indonesia

Jakarta, VIVA –President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) conveyed a welcome speech to the head of the worldwide Catholic Church, Pope Francis, during his visit to Indonesia on September 3-6, 2024.

"On behalf of the Indonesian people, I warmly welcomed and thank Pope Francis for his very noble visit to Indonesia. Welcome to His Holiness Pope Francis to Indonesia," President Jokowi said in a statement delivered at the Merdeka Palace in Jakarta on Tuesday.

Moreover, Pope Francis has undertaken several activities in Indonesia. Today, he visited the Istiqlal Mosque in Jakarta. During the visit, Pope Francis held an interfaith meeting and delivered a speech. After Istiqlal, Pope Francis visited the Indonesian Bishops' Conference (KWI) office.

There, the Catholic leader will meet with beneficiaries of charitable organizations. Later in the evening, Pope Francis will lead a grand mass at Gelora Bung Karno (GBK) Stadium.

He presided over approximately 80,000 Catholics during the mass. Pope Francis even personally greet tens of thousands of Catholics by touring the two GBK stadiums in a Maung MV3 vehicle made by Pindad.