Pope Francis is “popular among Catholics here, but may also be [seen as] influential among the general public, which sees him as an international leader for peace, harmony and equality,” Francis Lim, S.J., said.
In the wake of recent polling showing Kamala Harris leading among American Catholics, the Trump campaign has launched a new Catholic outreach initiative.
Indonesia sees itself as a site of calm and tolerance during a time when different faiths come into ruinous conflict in other nations, a self-image undermined by flare-ups of religiously motivated violence.
On the second leg of his 12-day journey to four countries, Pope Francis will take a six-hour flight Friday morning, Sept. 6, Indonesia to Papua New Guinea, a predominantly Christian country in Oceania.