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Jokowi to meet with Pope Francis in September
Praktikno said the Pope’s stopover in Indonesia would be a state visit and protocol would allow for the two leaders to meet in the capital.
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Pope Francis presides over an Easter Vigil on March 30, 2024, at Saint Peter's Basilica in the Vatican. The pope is expected to visit Indonesia, Singapore and Timor-Leste later this year. (Reuters/Yara Nardi)
T
he Foreign Ministry is working on the details of a bilateral meeting between President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo and Pope Francis to be held when the 87-year-old pontiff visits the country in September, State Secretary Pratikno said on Wednesday.
Praktikno said the Pope’s stopover in Indonesia would be a state visit and protocol would allow for the two leaders to meet in the capital.
"It's a state visit, and now details are being discussed by the Foreign Ministry," Pratikno said, as quoted by Antara.
Religious Affairs Minister Yaqut Cholil Qoumas said over the weekend that Pope Francis would visit Indonesia in September at the invitation of President Jokowi.
"After waiting for two years, Pope Francis will finally come to Indonesia. I believe this will be a special gift for Catholics," Yaqut said at an event in Central Java on Saturday.
"According to the letter sent by the Vatican and received by the Indonesian government, Pope Francis will be present in Indonesia on Sept. 3, 2024," Qoumas said, as quoted on the ministry's website.
"This will be an honor for Indonesia."
Pope Francis is also expected to visit Papua New Guinea in August, the country's foreign minister Justin Tkatchenko said in January.
And a Vatican source said the Pope planned to visit Timor-Leste the same month.
Since his election by cardinals in 2013, Pope Francis has made 44 trips abroad.
The Vatican has said the pontiff will visit Belgium later this year, and the pope has mentioned a possible visit to his native Argentina.
