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View all search results‘Apa kabar?’ The Holy See spreads words of peace in Indonesian
As conflict reshaped flight paths across the Middle East, a small Indonesian delegation braved the detour to make history at the Vatican. The official adoption of the Indonesian language by Vatican News marks a profound bridge between the world’s most populous Muslim nation and the heart of the Catholic Church.
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Lingua sancta: Pope Leo XIV (second right), accompanied by secretary of the Holy See’s Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue Father Markus Solo Kewuta (right), takes a family photo with head of Social Communication at the Indonesian Conference of Bishops (KWI) Mgr. Agustinus Tri Budi Utomo (left) and members of the Indonesian Catholic Journalist Association outside St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican on March 25, 2026, prior to the signing of Vatican News’ acceptance of Indonesian as one of its official languages. (Courtesy of Bonfilio Mahendra Putra/-)
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s tensions in the Middle East erupted into a full-blown war, major airlines, including EgyptAir and Etihad, were forced to cancel flights. “It is because of the war. Almost every day, flights to the Middle East are canceled,” explained a representative at the Terminal 3 front office of Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Tangerang, Banten.
Flight cancellations from Indonesia, whether for transit or final destinations in Dubai, Abu Dhabi or Doha, mostly occurred during the early days of the conflict involving the United States, Israel and Iran. Passengers often remained in limbo, not knowing until a day or two before departure whether their flights would proceed.
On March 20, just one day before Idul Fitri, the airport was buzzing with activity. Despite the Gulf conflict, Emirates managed to transport five members of the Indonesian Catholic Journalists Association (ICJA) to Leonardo da Vinci-Fiumicino Airport in Rome. “We had to take a longer route, flying over Oman and Chad to reach Europe,” said Jumar Sudiyana, a journalist from Sonora Radio.
Prior to their Emirates flight, the group held tickets for Qatar Airways, which could only guarantee travel as far as Doha. “The next available flight to Rome wasn’t until March 30, and even then, only if the situation returned to normal. So, we opted for a refund,” said Asni Ovier Dengen Paluin, the chairman of the ICJA. The group was determined to reach Rome before March 25, the date set for the official signing of the memorandum of understanding to have the Indonesian language accepted by Vatican News, the official news agency of the Holy See.
“The great vision is to create a platform where Catholic communities worldwide are fully connected, sharing the lived experiences of the Church wherever they may be,” — Paolo Rufini, prefect of the Dicastery for Communication
From Rome, a closer Indonesia
Mgr. Agustinus Tri Budi Utomo, better known as Mgr. Didik, Bishop of Surabaya in East Java who led the mission, chose a different path. Alongside Father Agung Nugroho and ICJA adviser Mayong Suryo Laksono, he flew via China Eastern. The journey took over 23 hours, significantly longer than the usual 18, but the route was safer as it crossed Eastern Asia rather than the epicenter of the Gulf tensions. They arrived just in time for the "D-Day" of March 25.
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