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.”
Asia
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.
Posted inFaith, News
East Timor’s sex abuse scandal has been ignored by many Catholics. Can Pope Francis’ visit change that?
The pope’s visit comes only two years after the Vatican acknowledged that the Nobel Peace Prize-winning, East Timorese independence hero Bishop Carlos Ximenes Belo had sexually abused young boys.
Posted inArts & Culture, Television
‘Shogun’ is a complex tale of religion and colonialism—with Jesuits as villains
“Shogun” is a dire portrait of the Catholic Church’s role in colonial history, but the Japanese are not mere victims in this story.
Posted inPolitics & Society, The Weekly Dispatch
Why isn’t anyone talking about the exodus of Christians in Nagorno-Karabakh?
Christians who have lived in Nagorno-Karabakh for 2,000 years are being driven out by Azerbaijan. Will world leaders act?
Posted inFaith, Vatican Dispatch
Pope Francis will head to Asia and Oceania in September for his longest foreign trip yet
The Vatican has confirmed that Pope Francis will visit Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Timor-Leste and Singapore from Sept. 2 to 13.