As Pope Francis’ inspiring 12-day journey to Asia and Oceania has come to a close, I look back with joy on his time in Indonesia. In his meetings with government authorities, civic leaders, with Catholics and with Muslims, he called for solidarity with the poor and care for our common home.
“Viva il Papa, Papa Francesco,”“Welcome to Indonesia,” resonated from every corner of the country, and in the country’s capital, Jakarta, it was shouted with the wave of the Indonesia flag in every hand!
The people of Indonesia believe in gotong royong, literally, “joint bearing of burdens,” carrying something together, shoulder-to-shoulder. This ethos was lived to its fullest in the days of this holy visit. People from all walks of life came together to make this visit happen in a safe and secure atmosphere. There was pride among the people that Pope Francis, a holy man, was coming to our country.
I am a sister of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and I have served in Jakarta and Bandung, West Java, for the last 24 years. Our R.S.C.J. community played a small part in this visit. Our sisters came from our communities to attend the prayer service and distributed Communion at the liturgy celebrated for about 90,000 Catholics from all over the country.
An interfaith encounter
Pope Francis did not visit Indonesia only for Catholics. The Holy Father’s choices surprised our sisters and brothers of different faiths. A Muslim student posted online that he was amazed by the simplicity of the pope and his choice to eschew fancy cars and accommodations. Although he was not familiar with the Bible nor Catholicism, he said that “the choices of Pope Francis and his way with people” taught him “the true meaning of being a Catholic who follows Jesus’ teachings in the Bible.” He expressed gratitude to Pope Francis for the visit and said that the pope’s example has “taken me beyond my narrow reasoning and showed me how to be humble and tolerant. Pope Francis came for all the people in Indonesia, Catholic and Muslim alike!”
There was a special meeting between Pope Francis and Grand Imam Nasaruddin Umar at the Istiqlal Mosque, designed by a Christian architect, Friedrich Silaban, the largest in South East Asia. In front of the mosque is the cathedral. In recent years, an underground tunnel, called silaturahmi (“encounter of love”)was built to connect both these places of worship. Pope Francis believed that the tunnel is not merely a formality but a pathway of friendship and togetherness. The pope was convinced that Indonesia can offer a model of interfaith relations and peace to the world.
There was an aspect of this meeting that might have gone unnoticed by some but that I think was especially meaningful. When the group of invitees to the interfaith gathering came out to take a picture, Pope Francis and the grand imam were at the center. The connection of the mosque and the cathedral went beyond places of worship to the people who worship. This became even more real when Imam Umar kissed the head of Pope Francis and in return, the Holy Father kissed the hand of the grand imam. The communication and connection between leaders of the two major religions of the world that crossed the barriers of language, religion, nation, culture and generation has touched the hearts of many.
It is important to recognize that there is an even deeper meaning to the gestures these holy men shared. In Indonesia, the head is a very significant part of the body. It is where the spirit resides and is considered as sacred and the purest part of the body. It is touched only out of love. The grand imam chose to kiss the head of the pope. Likewise, the hands of a priest at his ordination are anointed as a sign of the Holy Spirit, who confers the sacred power to sanctify, to shepherd and to teach. It reflects the hands of Jesus himself in administering the sacraments to his people. Pope Francis chose to kiss the hand of the grand imam.
Both the imam and the pope touched what is sacred to each of them, thus entering a dialogue that I believe sent waves of peace to all the world. True dialogue can only take place when we dare to touch what is sacred! And it is from this sacred space that the Istiqlal Declaration of “Strengthening Religious Harmony for Humanity” was signed by Pope Francis and Grand Imam Nasaruddin Omar.
A pope for all
Pope Francis did not come to Indonesia to see the privileged few. Traveling through the streets of Jakarta, he gestured mainly to women and children to bless them. He looked out for the faces of those who were returning from work, blessed them and gave them rosaries. Pope Francis, as we know, does not remain confined to planned meetings or routes but gives way to his spontaneity. He is in tune with the Holy Spirit and acts accordingly.
He stopped the car to meet a pregnant woman and asked her if this was her first child. His eyes lit up when the woman replied, “This will be my second child.” He asked her what the name will be, then blessed her and gave her a rosary for her baby. On his way from one place to the other, Pope Francis had his car slow down or asked the assistant who helped him in his wheelchair to stop for him to welcome children and kiss them. He commented that Indonesia can be the example for countries where homes are filled with objects, dogs and cats and emptied of children. Every single person who met him was left in smiles and tears.
The three days of Pope Francis’ visit of “Faith, Fraternity and Compassion” has left its mark as the people reminisce with tears of gratitude for the Holy Father’s visit, which was meant for all, irrespective of caste, creed, tribe or race. He has touched our hearts and will remain in our prayers.
