Pope Francis Embarks on Historic 12-Day Journey to Southeast Asia and Oceania

Pope Francis, the head of the Catholic Church, has arrived in Indonesia, the world’s most populous Muslim country. During his 12-day trip, he will visit a total of four countries in Southeast Asia and Oceania, including East Timor, Singapore, and Papua New Guinea.

This marks the 45th trip of Pope Francis’ pontificate and is notably his longest journey to date. Despite facing mobility challenges and relying on a wheelchair, the Pope’s determination and enthusiasm have prevailed.

The visit to Indonesia, a country renowned for its religious tolerance, holds great significance. Pope Francis expressed his gratitude to the journalists accompanying him on this journey.

“Greetings to everyone. I want to sincerely thank you for being on this journey with me. It will be a long journey, we will see each other during this long flight. Now I am also aware that this is my longest journey so far. Thank you for being with me.”

Following a 13-hour flight, Pope Francis arrived in high spirits, visibly happy and rested. He was warmly welcomed by Indonesia’s top political and religious leaders.

Indonesian President Joko Widodo described the visit as “historic,” noting that it was initially planned several years ago but postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This marks the Pope’s third visit to Indonesia, following the visits of Pope Paul VI in 1970 and Pope John Paul II in 1989.