Reflections on Pope Francis’ Visit to Indonesia
Before Mass with Pope Francis at Indonesia’s national stadium, two young Catholics shared their thoughts on the Pope’s visit to their country.
By Linda Bordoni in Jakarta and Joseph Tulloch in the Vatican
Excitement filled the air on Thursday evening as Pope Francis celebrated Mass for around 100,000 people at Jakarta’s Gelora Bung Karno Stadium.
Prior to the liturgy, Vatican News caught up with two young Indonesians to hear about their experiences as members of the country’s Catholic minority and their hopes for the Pope’s visit.
Meet Eugene, a 24-year-old sustainability consultant, and Natasha, a 20-year-old graphic design student. They both belong to a Catholic youth group that organizes faith discussions and charity work and they couldn’t contain their excitement about the Pope’s visit.
Reflecting on the significance of the Pope’s visit, Eugene remarked, “As a minority group in a country dominated by a single religion, his visit brings a lot of publicity and exposure to us minorities in a way that has never happened before.”
He added, “I’ve never witnessed such a huge inter-religious affair that [causes] even our brothers and sisters from other religions to say ‘Oh, so this is Catholicism’ … I think this is a moment for them to explore and discover a whole different culture and a whole different religion.”
When asked what message she had for Catholics in Italy, Natasha said, “I just want them to know that we’re here too. We’re Indonesian, we’re Catholic, and we enjoy what we’re doing.”
Catholic Indonesians participate in the papal Mass via livestream
