Indonesia successfully hosts 3rd papal visit as Francis embarks on 2nd leg of Asia tour

By Efe Ozkan

ISTANBUL (AA) - An overflowing crowd of more than 100,000 people celebrated the end of Pope Francis’ successful visit to Indonesia as his regional tour proceeds to Papua New Guinea.

"Thank you for the superb welcome that I have received," the pope said as he left the Southeast Asian nation. "May God bless you and make you grow and persevere in peace and fraternal love!"

Amid ongoing wars in Gaza and Ukraine, claiming hundreds of lives every week, Francis in the capital Jakarta called for a “joint response” to conflicts and crises, stating: “We can respond together to the crises, wars, conflicts that are inflicting so much suffering, unfortunately caused at times by the manipulation of religion.”

Reflecting on his meeting with the pope, Indonesian President Joko Widodo said: “Together with Pope Francis, we call for peace and unity ... Unity in diversity has united Indonesia's diverse religions, ethnicities, and languages."

Francis became the first Catholic leader in decades, and the third overall, to visit the world's largest Muslim-majority nation, following in the footsteps of Pope Paul VI in 1970 and John Paul II in 1989. It took nearly three decades for another papal visit to the multi-faith nation.

The 87-year-old pontiff arrived in Jakarta on Tuesday as part of his longest Asia-Pacific tour, which includes stops in Papua New Guinea, East Timor, and Singapore.

This marks the 45th overseas trip of his papacy, and Indonesia is the 66th country the pope has visited since his papacy began in 2013.

Spread across four nations, it is his longest overseas trip.