Pope Francis Begins 12-Day Southeast Asia and Oceania Tour in Indonesia

Pope Francis Begins 12-Day Southeast Asia and Oceania Tour in Indonesia

Pope Francis arrived in Indonesia on Tuesday, marking the start of his longest foreign trip as the head of the Catholic Church. The 87-year-old pontiff touched down in Jakarta after a 13-hour flight from Rome aboard a special ITA Airways flight.

This 12-day tour will take Pope Francis across four countries in Southeast Asia and Oceania, including Papua New Guinea, East Timor, and Singapore. Indonesia, home to over 240 million Muslims, is the world’s most populous Muslim-majority nation. The pope’s visit centers on promoting peaceful coexistence among different religions, a key focus of his trip.

Among the countries on his itinerary, East Timor stands out as the only one with a Catholic majority population.

Despite his age and frequent reliance on a wheelchair, Pope Francis continues to maintain an active travel schedule. His last major trip abroad was to Mongolia a year ago. Over the course of this journey, he will cover more than 30,000 kilometers by air.

The pontiff is set to return to Rome on September 13. Later this month, he is expected to visit Luxembourg and Belgium.