Media Statement Pope Francis Apostolic Journey to Indonesia 2024

The Supreme Leader of the worldwide Catholic Church and Head of State of the Vatican, Pope Francis, will embark on an apostolic journey to Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Timor Leste, and Singapore from September 2 to 13, 2024. Indonesia will be the first country on this visit, from September 3 to 6, 2024; followed by Port Moresby (Papua New Guinea) and Vanimo from September 6 to 9, 2024; Dili (Timor Leste) from September 9 to 11, 2024; and Singapore from September 11 to 13, 2024.

Pope Francis is the third Pope to visit Indonesia. The first was Saint Pope Paul VI, who visited on December 3-4, 1970. Nineteen years later, Saint Pope John Paul II visited Indonesia from October 9-14, 1989. Now, after 35 years, Pope Francis is making an apostolic journey to Indonesia.

Despite his health and age limitations, the Pope is still willing to visit and meet directly with his faithful. He demonstrates his fatherly love by strengthening and fortifying the faith of the people.

The Chairman of the Indonesian Bishops’ Conference (KWI), Archbishop Antonius Subianto Bunjamin, OSC, expressed how the Church in Indonesia is very grateful and joyful to welcome Pope Francis. “KWI, in collaboration with the Apostolic Nunciature of the Holy See to Indonesia, formed a committee in April 2024, which has been working on preparations until now,” Antonius said. There are 56 Core Committee members and 107 Core Volunteers involved in these preparations.

Together with the Committee, KWI is cooperating with the government and relevant authorities to arrange logistics, security coordination, transportation, health protocols, and media coverage. Antonius expressed his gratitude and appreciation to the government for their earnest efforts in welcoming the Pope, who is not only the leader of the Church but also the head of the Vatican state.

The Church in Indonesia is first and foremost asked to pray for the smoothness of the Pope’s visit. A prayer group has even been formed to pray continuously for the success of this event. All congregations in Indonesia include a special prayer in their services, which has been distributed to all the faithful. Dioceses and parishes are holding Catechesis and Spiritual Formation sessions. Catechetical and spiritual formation materials are provided to help the faithful understand the meaning and purpose of the Pope’s apostolic visit, and to encourage them to participate actively and faithfully.

The Church in Indonesia is working together to organize the Eucharistic Celebration at Gelora Bung Karno Stadium on September 5, 2024. Dioceses and parishes are organizing their congregations to attend the Eucharistic Celebration in an orderly manner. Priests will also serve as concelebrants and assist in distributing Communion.

The Catholic Church in Indonesia is encouraging the faithful to reflect on and embody the values taught by Pope Francis, especially the theme of his visit to Indonesia: Faith, Brotherhood, and Compassion. “Strong faith produces true brotherhood, while true brotherhood is expressed in compassion for others and the universe.”

The Church in Indonesia is preparing a media and communication strategy to disseminate information about the Pope’s visit. It is working with Vatican media, other international media, and local media to cover the Pope’s journey. Currently, there are over 700 accredited media, and 88 media personnel are accompanying the Pope on his flight (VAMP – Vatican Accredited Media Personnel).

Meanwhile, Cardinal Ignatius Suharyo stated: “The physical presence of Pope Francis in Indonesia is very important, but equally important is studying his ideas and life example.” Cardinal Suharyo recounted that Pope Francis had an authentic experience of God’s mercy when, at the age of 17, he entered the confessional and felt God’s boundless mercy. This encounter with the merciful God led to personal transformation, which influenced the transformation of the Church institution. Many symbolic choices reflect this, first and foremost by choosing the motto when he became a bishop and pope: “Miserando atque eligendo” (he saw him with merciful eyes and chose him).

Meanwhile, the Chairman of the Organizing Committee for the Pope’s Visit to Indonesia, Ignasius Jonan, stated: “As of now, the Pope’s travel agenda, as previously announced, is still on track.” The Committee has been making preparations at each venue and coordinating across sectors to ensure the best possible arrangements for Pope Francis’s Apostolic Visit to Indonesia. Health teams have been prepared for the Pope and the entire congregation, as well as security arrangements, traffic management, and parking, which have been coordinated by the committee team with relevant government sectors.

Among the many events in Pope Francis’s agenda in Indonesia, one that will involve many faithful is the Eucharistic Celebration at Gelora Bung Karno (GBK) Stadium. All the faithful who are able to attend are encouraged to follow the committee’s advice and recommendations to ensure everything runs smoothly. Those who are unable to secure a spot are advised not to come to GBK, as they will not be allowed in. Instead, they should follow the event via Television or YouTube.

The media’s support in covering Pope Francis’s Apostolic Journey to Indonesia is also extraordinary. Currently, 732 journalists are registered to cover the event, including 88 journalists accompanying the Pope’s flight, and 635 others are local and international media accredited in Indonesia. We also ask for the community’s support to ensure the success of Pope Francis’s apostolic journey, which will undoubtedly be a valuable spiritual experience for Catholics in Indonesia.

Thank you.

Pope Francis Apostolic Journey to Indonesia Scheduled Events

Komsos KWI

Membantu para Waligereja mewujudkan masyarakat Indonesia yang beriman, menghayati nilai-nilai universal, serta mampu menggunakan media komunikasi secara bertanggung jawab demi terciptanya persaudaraan sejati dan kemajuan bersama.