For Immediate Release From Catholic News Service!
On the road again: Pope to visit Asia, Oceania in September
Pope Francis is scheduled to set off on a four-nation, 25,000-mile trip that is expected to focus on being living witnesses of faith, the importance of interreligious dialogue and the Christian obligation to care for creation. By Cindy Wooden
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Pope Francis' trip to Asia and Oceania in September will be a trip of religious, economic and social contrasts.
Visiting four nations Sept. 2-13, the 87-year-old pope will be making the longest trip of his pontificate, both in terms of distance covered and days away from the Vatican.
Map of Pope Francis' planned trip
Pope Francis plans to travel Sept. 2-13 to Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Timor-Leste and Singapore. It will be the 45th foreign trip of his pontificate and his longest trip, both in terms of distance and days away from Rome. (CNS graphic/Justin McLellan, with photo by Pablo Esparza)
The trip will include predominantly Muslim Indonesia and predominantly Christian Papua New Guinea, as well as Singapore, Asia's economic powerhouse, and Timor-Leste, one of the world's poorest nations.
Plans were being made for the trip in September 2020, but everything was halted because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Pope Francis not only is four years older, but now regularly uses a cane, a walker or a wheelchair to get around.
The 45th trip of his pontificate is expected to focus heavily on interreligious dialogue, ethnic harmony, care for creation, concern for immigrants and gratitude for the work of missionaries and the church's contribution to education and health care.
His visit will begin in Indonesia, which has the largest Muslim population of any country in the world; Catholics account for only about 3% of the population. Then he will move on to Papua New Guinea, where an estimated 98% of the population is Christian. Timor-Leste is the only nation on the itinerary where Catholics are the majority; the Vatican estimates 96% of the population belongs to the church. In Singapore, Buddhists make up the largest religious group -- about 31% -- followed by 20% of the population claiming no religious belief; Christians account for almost 19% of the population and Muslims about 15%.
While from a European or North American perspective all four countries could be considered part of the "periphery" of global Catholicism -- those outlying areas Pope Francis prioritizes when accepting invitations -- he will stick to the largest city in each nation, with one exception: He will spend about three hours Sept. 8 in Vanimo and Baro, towns on the northwesternmost shore of Papua New Guinea.
It's personal, according to Father Giorgio Licini, a PIME missionary and general secretary of the Papua New Guinea bishops' conference.
Writing in Avvenire, the newspaper of the Italian bishops' conference, Father Licini said Pope Francis insisted on going to the outposts over the advice of the bishops' conference and the government because he wanted to visit his friend, Father Martin Prado, a 35-year-old member of the Institute of the Incarnate Word from Argentina, and see the work he and the Incarnate Word sisters have been doing in the remote area.
But Indonesia is the first stop, and interreligious dialogue and "human fraternity" are expected to be the dominant topics.
Divine Word Father Markus Solo Kewuta, an Indonesian official at the Vatican Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue, said generally Christian-Muslim relations in his homeland are "very peaceful, very kind," but they can vary in different parts of the country, a nation made up of more than 17,000 islands, about 6,000 of which are inhabited.
The country's main Muslim organization, Nahdlatul Ulama, and the Indonesian government both promote official dialogue, peaceful coexistence and simple neighborliness, Father Solo said, but there is a worrying new trend of "ghetto building," or of people looking to live in neighborhoods where only Muslims or Christians live, which decreases mutual knowledge, trust and cooperation.
The priest, who grew up on the predominantly Catholic island of Flores, told Catholic News Service it still is common for members of the Nahdlatul Ulama youth group to volunteer to stand guard outside their neighborhood Christian churches on Christmas Eve and during the Easter vigil to ensure the services take place in peace.
"Unfortunately, these good relations will be always disturbed by the radical or violent acts of people, and particularly also by the politicization of religion," he said. "This really divides nations, societies and religions; friends become enemies. We have experienced this in the past several times."
"We live in a plurality, and therefore we are condemned to dialogue with each other," he said.
In Indonesia, Papua New Guinea and Timor-Leste, Pope Francis also is expected to talk about the religious obligation to care for creation. All three nations have seen accelerating deforestation as the global market seeks tropical wood, and all three struggle to regulate mining while relying on profits from mineral exports.
Pope Francis will not be the first pope to visit any of the countries on his itinerary. St. Paul VI visited Indonesia in 1970 and St. John Paul II went to the country in 1989; on the same trip, St. John Paul visited Timor-Leste, which celebrated its independence from Indonesia in 2002. The Polish pope visited Papua New Guinea in 1984 and again in 1995. In 1986, St. John Paul visited Singapore, though he stayed only five hours -- enough time to celebrate a public Mass, meet government officials and speak to the nation's priests.
Singapore is one of the world's wealthiest countries, and Pope Francis' 46-hour visit will include time with some of the island's poorer residents -- the elderly and sick people cared for at St. Theresa's Home, a nursing home that can serve up to 200 patients.
A 2014 Pew Research Center report ranked Singapore as the most religiously diverse country in the world, but also found a significant percentage of the population claims no religious affiliation at all. Pope Francis' final event in Singapore, before his 12-hour flight back to Rome, will be an interreligious meeting with young people, bringing the theme full circle.
Learn more HERE!:
https://www.usccb.org/news/2024/road-again... ********
For Immediate Release From Vatican News!
'A blessing for the Indonesian nation' - Cardinal Suharyo on Pope's visit
As Pope Francis departs on his 45th Apostolic Journey abroad, Cardinal Ignatius Suharyo, the Archbishop of Jakarta, offers his thoughts on the Pope's closeness to Indonesia, in this article published on L'Osservatore Romano. By Cardinal Ignatius Suharyo Hardjoatmodjo
From September 3 to 6, Pope Francis will be in Jakarta, during his Apostolic Visit to four countries including Indonesia.
It is not only Catholics who enthusiastically welcome the Pope’s visit, but also sisters and brothers from other faith communities.
Even before the Government of Indonesia and the Bishops’ Conference of Indonesia announced the Pope’s visit, the Grand Imam of the Istiqlal Mosque — meaning freedom or independence — had already delivered it in advance at the Joint Iftar meeting in Ramadhan this year, which was held at the Cathedral Church complex.
The location of the Cathedral Church with the neighbouring Istiqlal Mosque is a symbol of the ideal of a harmonious life in Indonesia, which has different religious, cultural, ethnic, and historical backgrounds.
We are indeed very grateful for the visit of Pope Francis. As Head of State of the Vatican, the Pope will begin his visit by meeting with the President of the Republic of Indonesia, the Ambassadors of friendly countries, and ministers in the current government.
The Pope will also meet with members of the Society of Jesus of Indonesia. Next, he will visit the Istiqlal National Mosque, the Cathedral of the Archdiocese of Jakarta, and the Office of the Bishops’ Conference of Indonesia, which had just celebrated its 100th anniversary this year.
Read the full article HERE!:
https://www.vaticannews.va/en/church/news/... ****
An overview of the Church in Indonesia
As Pope Francis prepares to undertake his Apostolic Journey to Asia and Oceania, we offer an overview of the Church in Indonesia, where he will visit on September 3-6.
By Lisa Zengarini
Christianity first arrived in Indonesia in the 7th century, but it took hold only in 16th century when several Catholic missionaries accompanying the Portuguese started preaching in the archipelago.
The Dutch, who expelled the Portuguese in 1605, introduced Calvinist Protestantism and Catholicism was banned from the territory until 1806.
Growth of Church in Indonesia in the 19th and 20th centuries
Catholic missionaries were able to return to Indonesia in 1807 when the first Apostolic Prefecture was created in then Batavia (now Jakarta). The Catholic Church expanded its presence during the 19th and 20th centuries when other missionaries from various religious congregations arrived.
During the first two decades of the 20th century, other Apostolic Prefectures were set up. The eastern regions were entrusted to the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart (MSC), Borneo and Sumatra to the Capuchins, and Nusa Teggara and Flores to the Verbite Missionaries.
In 1924, the bishops of Indonesia held their first five-yearly meeting. The meetings were suspended during the Japanese occupation (1942-45), which marked an abrupt setback for the Church with the internment of almost all the missionaries serving in the archipelago.
The year 1940 saw the ordination of the first Indonesian bishop, the Jesuit Albertus Soegijapranata. In 1955, following the establishment of diplomatic relations between the Holy See and the newly-established Indonesian Republic in 1950, the bishops of Indonesia resumed their plenary sessions, and created the Supreme Council of Indonesian Bishops (MAWI), the nucleus of the future Indonesian Episcopal Conference (Konferensi Waligereja Indonesia, KWI) established in 1987.
In 1961, Pope Saint John XXIII established the Catholic hierarchy by dividing the territory into six ecclesiastical provinces. In 1967, Bishop Justinus Darmowujono (1914-1994) became the first Indonesian Cardinal.
In 1970, after the Second Vatican Council, the Indonesian bishops issued their first directives on the conduct of Catholics in Indonesian society based on the Pancasila principles. The defence of the five constitutional principles on which the Indonesian state is founded has been since a constant feature of the Indonesian Church.
Visits of previous Popes’ to Indonesia
Pope Francis will be the third pontiff to visit Indonesia. The first Pope to travel there was Saint Paul VI, who stopped in Jakarta on 3 December 1970 during his Apostolic Journey to East Asia, Oceania, and Australia (25 November - 5 December 1970). He was received by Indonesian President Suharto and celebrated Mass at a stadium in the capital.
Read the full article HERE!:
https://www.vaticannews.va/en/church/news/... ****
An overview of the Church in Timor-Leste
As Pope Francis prepares to visit Timor-Leste on his Apostolic Journey to Asia and Oceania, we offer an overview of the Church in the country.
By Lisa Zengarini
The evangelization of Timor-Leste began in the first half of the 16th century along with the colonization of the island by the Portuguese, who maintained control of its eastern part (with the brief interlude of the Japanese occupation during the Second World War) until to 1975, when it was forcefully occupied by Indonesia.
Fight for independence and Pope John Paul II’s visit in 1989
Pope St. John Paul II briefly visited the territory on 12 October 1989, when it was still under the Indonesian rule, as part of the 44th Apostolic Journey to the Far East and Mauritius (6 October - 16 October 1989).
The visit drew international attention to the plight of the East Timorese people and to the atrocities perpetrated by the Indonesian occupying army.
These atrocities were repeatedly denounced by the three successive Apostolic Administrators of Dili.
After the declaration of independence on 20 May 2002, following the UN-backed 1999 referendum, the Holy See and the Republic of Timor-Leste established diplomatic relations.
In 2019, the three dioceses of the country, Dili, Bacau and Maliana, were established as an Ecclesiastical Province.
An overwhelming Catholic majority
With an overwhelming Catholic majority of 95% of its population of 1.4 million, today Timor-Leste is the second Catholic nation in Asia after the Philippines.
The Church’s active role during the 25-year struggle for self-determination and its closeness to the population have contributed to further increase the Catholic population.
Vocations continue to be numerous. Among the religious orders present in the territory are the Salesians, the Jesuits—who arrived for the first time in 1899, were expelled in 1910 and returned in 1958—the Verbite Missionaries, and various women’s religious institutes, some of which are local.
Read the full article HERE!:
https://www.vaticannews.va/en/church/news/... ****
An overview of the Church in Papua New Guinea
As Pope Francis prepares to visit Singapore on his Apostolic Journey to Asia and Oceania, we offer an overview of the Catholic Church in the country. By Lisa Zengarini
The evangelization of Papua New Guinea dates back to the 19th century.
In 1844, Pope Gregory XVI created the Apostolic Vicariate of Melanesia, which was initially entrusted to various congregations and missionary institutes, including the Marists priests and brothers, the Italian Missionaries of the Pontifical Institute for Foreign Missions (PIME), the Missionaries of the Sacred Heartof Issoudun (MSC), who were followed by others.
Difficult beginning
After initial setbacks, towards the end of the 19th century, the Church began to grow steadily. The reorganization of the missions in the area dates back to this period.
However, the Japanese occupation during World War II marked an abrupt setback for the Papuan Catholic Church, with several religious men and women killed. Victims of the persecution included catechist and martyr Pietro To Rot (1912-1945).
The Church resumed its work after the war, and in 1966, the ecclesiastical hierarchy was established, with three Metropolitan Archdioceses and 11 suffragan Dioceses.
Previous papal visits
Pope Francis is the second pontiff to make an Apostolic Journey to Papua New Guinea, which was visited twice by Pope Saint John Paul II.
The Polish Pope visited the country on 7-10 May 1984 and then on 16-18 January 1995, on the occasion of the beatification of Pietro To Rot, the first Blessed of Papua New Guinea.
An overwhelming Christian majority
About 95% of Papuans are Christians, who are predominantly Protestants and in particular Evangelical Lutherans, while 5% belong to other religious confessions.
Although Christians make an overwhelming majority, Christianity is not the state religion and all religions are granted full religious freedom. However, the preamble to the Constitution pledges to uphold Christian values.
In recent years, the Catholic Church has opposed a proposal by some Evangelical groups to amend the Constitution with the aim of affirming the Christian identity of the Papuan State.
The proposed amendments include establishing the Holy Trinity as the source of political authority, renaming the country as the "Independent and Christian State of Papua New Guinea", and including the respect, observance and promotion of Christian principles among citizens’ "social duties".
Read the full article HERE!:
https://www.vaticannews.va/en/church/news/... VISIT:
https://www.vaticannews.va/en.html
Posted By: agnes levine
Monday, September 2nd 2024 at 10:55AM
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