Jakarta – The Superior General of the Priests of the Holy Family, Purnomo MSF, said that Pope Francis is very enthusiastic about visiting Indonesia. This enthusiasm was evident from his experience as an interpreter in a meeting between the Indonesian Ambassador to the Holy See and Pope Francis some time ago.
“The Pope said, ‘I look forward to visiting Indonesia,'” Purnomo said.
Purnomo said that this visit was Pope Francis’ appreciation for Indonesia, as a country with a Muslim majority, but the Catholic community and other communities can grow.
“There are one or two problems, that’s normal. However, Indonesia’s diversity with its motto Bhinneka Tunggal Ika is very well known and appreciated by the Vatican,” Purnomo said.
Pancasila as the foundation of the state is often a hot topic of discussion at the Holy See.
“The Pope admires Pancasila, especially when the nation’s founders placed the Almighty God in the first principle,” said Purnomo.
Respect for diversity, including religious diversity, according to Purnomo, is a fertile ground for the growth of seeds of vocation. It is not surprising that from a region that was once a mission destination, Indonesia has now developed into one of the regions that is a source of missionaries.
Meanwhile, Markus Kewuta SVD, a priest who has worked for decades for the Pontifical Office for Interfaith Dialogue, explained that the diversity of Indonesian backgrounds and cultures is expected to give birth to a declaration document in Indonesia.
Specifically, Markus mentioned, when holding a meeting at the Istiqlal Mosque, Jakarta, Pope Francis together with representatives of other religious leaders will sign a joint declaration. Markus believes that the declaration will be more distinctive than the Abu Dhabi Declaration signed by Pope Francis and the Grand Imam of Al Azhar Egypt, Ahmed Al Thayeb.
Markus predicted that Pope Francis would discuss humanitarian values for peace and common prosperity during his visit to Indonesia. As head of state, the Pope would also discuss democracy.
Pope Francis’ visit is expected to be an inspiration for all Indonesian people to further strengthen unity and diversity, towards a more united and harmonious Indonesia.
