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Pope Francis kicked off his extensive 12-day tour of four Asian countries on a humble note by opting to use a family car and ditching luxury hotel stay as he arrived in Muslim-majority Indonesia for the first leg.
The leader of the Catholic Church started the first full day of his trip on Wednesday, packed with meetings with political and religious leaders, with interfaith dialogue and climate change on top of the agenda.
The packed schedule of the pope’s farthest and longest trip to date would test the stamina of the 87-year-old suffering from myriad health problems.
The pontiff was chauffeured in a white Toyota Innova with the special SCV1 number plate, typically used by Vatican embassies for his appearances.
“The choice of vehicle was based on the Vatican’s specific request for an ordinary, commonly used car,” Major General Achiruddin, Presidential Security Force commander, was quoted as saying by the Jakarta Globe. “We were happy to accommodate this.”
The Indonesian government had arranged for the pope to stay in a luxury hotel but he preferred to stay at the Vatican embassy in Jakarta instead.
He would, however, be chauffeured in a custom-made bullet-proof tactical vehicle with a detachable roof during the Mass service at Bung Karno Stadium on Thursday that is expected to draw over 60,000 people.
The car, known as the Maung MV3, was customised for Francis by the Indonesian state defence company Pindad.
“Pope Francis will use the Maung MV3 when greeting the faithful at the Bung Karno Stadium. We hope the vehicle provides the utmost comfort and safety for the pope during his time in Indonesia,” defence ministry spokesman Edwin Adrian Sumantha said.
The vehicle, under construction since May, has been specifically tailored to suit the elderly pontiff’s needs.
The pope arrived at the Merdeka Palace on Wednesday morning to meet with president Joko Widodo and his incoming successor Prabowo Subianto during the first papal visit to Indonesia in 35 years.
He was greeted with enthusiastic cheers by a crowd of people, including children, gathered at the presidential palace as he stepped out of the car and took the wheelchair.
At a welcome ceremony marked by grandeur and tradition, cannons boomed in the palace grounds, sending a flock of white pigeons into the sky, symbolising peace.
In his address, the pope urged the Indonesians, three per cent of whom are Catholics, to live with “harmony in diversity” and fight religious intolerance in the world’s largest Muslim country.
He noted that diversity can become a source of conflict in an apparent reference to episodes of religious intolerance in recent years in the country as well as a broader concern about geopolitical conflicts raging around the world.
“This wise and delicate balance between the multiplicity of cultures and different ideological visions, and the ideals that cement unity, must be continuously defended against imbalances," he said.
Political leaders had an essential role to play, the pope said, and assured Mr Widodo of the Catholic Church’s commitment to increasing interreligious dialogue.
"War will not benefit anyone, war will only bring suffering and misery to the common people," Mr Widodo said. "Therefore let us celebrate the differences that we have. Let us accept each other and strengthen tolerance to realise peace, to realise a better world for all humanity."
A major highlight of the pontiff’s Indonesia visit is set to be his meeting at Jakarta’s iconic Istiqlal mosque, which is connected by a tunnel to the city’s Catholic cathedral.
He’s expected to meet Nasaruddin Umar, the imam of the mosque, as well as representatives of all six religions that are officially recognised in Indonesia, that’s, Islam, Buddhism, Confucianism, Hinduism, Protestantism and Catholicism.
The pope’s visit comes amid rising concerns over incidents of intolerance in Indonesia. Amnesty International said there were at least 123 cases of intolerance, including closure or destruction of places of worship, in the country between January 2021 and July 2024.
Amnesty said it hoped the pope’s visit would encourage an end to acts of intolerance and discrimination against minority groups and promote respect for religious freedom that is enshrined in the constitution.
The pope will depart for Port Moresby in Papua New Guinea after his final day of engagement in Indonesia on Friday before travelling to East Timor and Singapore.
