Pope Francis is the first pope to visit Timor Leste since the country won independence in 2002.
Gerard O’Connell
Gerard O’Connell is America’s senior Vatican correspondent and author of The Election of Pope Francis: An Inside Story of the Conclave That Changed History. He has been covering the Vatican since 1985.
Posted inFaith, Vatican Dispatch
Pope Francis visits ‘the periphery of the peripheries’ in Vanimo, Papua New Guinea
Pope Francis’ 12-day trip continued with a visit to the remote city of Vanimo in Papua New Guinea.
Posted inFaith, Vatican Dispatch
In Papua New Guinea, Pope Francis addresses economic inequality and challenges to peace
Arriving in Papua New Guinea, Pope Francis called for greater efforts toward material development and lasting peace in the rural country, which has been plagued by economic underdevelopment and violence.
Posted inPolitics & Society, Vatican Dispatch
In Papua New Guinea, Pope Francis will meet with missionaries from his homeland Argentina
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.
Posted inFaith, Vatican Dispatch
At a mosque in Indonesia, Pope Francis and the Grand Imam reach another milestone in Catholic-Muslim dialogue
During his visit to Indonesia, Pope Francis and the grand imam of the Istiqlal Mosque in Jakarta signed the ”Joint Declaration of Istiqlal 2024,” which aims at “fostering religious harmony for the sake of humanity.”
Posted inFaith, Vatican Dispatch
Jakarta’s Grand Imam ‘very much hopes’ Pope Francis will enter Istiqlal Mosque, the largest in Southeast Asia
Pope Francis will arrive at Jakarta’s Istiqlal Mosque, the biggest mosque in Southeast Asia, tomorrow morning, where he will sign an important document with the grand imam, Nasaruddin Umar.
Posted inFaith, Vatican Dispatch
Pope Francis in Indonesia: Caring for the poor ‘doesn’t mean being a communist’
Pope Francis’ second day in Indonesia involved two major events: a meeting with political and religious authorities and an encounter with the Catholic bishops, clergy and catechists at the cathedral.
Posted inFaith, Vatican Dispatch
Pope Francis begins the longest trip of his papacy yet despite age and mobility issues
“Daunting,” “heroic” and even “punishing.” Here’s what to expect during Pope Francis’ Asia-Oceania trip.
Posted inFaith, Interviews
The Vatican’s only Indonesian official expects a warm welcome for Pope Francis—from Catholics and Muslims
In an interview with America, Father Markus Solo spoke about the reasons why Indonesia’s government and its Catholic and Muslim leaders wanted Francis to visit the country, which he described as “young and dynamic.”
Posted inPolitics & Society, Vatican Dispatch
A brief history of the Catholic Church in Indonesia
How much of Indonesia is Catholic? Is Christianity on the rise? Why is Pope Francis visiting? Here’s what you need to know.