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Indonesian Catholics welcome Pope Leo XIV with joy
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Newly-elected Pope Leo XIV speaks during a mass with cardinals in the Sistine Chapel in The Vatican on May 9, 2025 in this photo taken and handed out by the Vatican Media. (AFP/Handout/Vatican Media)
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ndonesian Catholics have joyfully welcomed Pope Leo XIV, the first pontiff from North America and the Order of Saint Augustine, expressing hope that he will continue the legacy of his predecessor by prioritizing the poor and marginalized, and promoting unity within the Catholic Church.
Christine Sedik, a 23-year-old Catholic from Sorong, West Papua, now living in West Java, offered a prayer of gratitude, especially moved by the fact that the new pope had once visited her hometown.
“I hope Pope Leo will lead the Catholic Church toward a better future, with a vision that, like his predecessor, embraces the poor and marginalized,” she said on Friday.
Robert Francis Prevost, now Pope Leo XIV, traveled to remote areas in Manokwari and Sorong in 2003 during a five-day canonical visitation as a leader of the Order of Saint Augustine, which is known for its commitment to communion and service.
Vicar Jan Pieter Fatem, who accompanied him on the mission, recalled Prevost as “a humble and quiet man, but a good listener.”
“We can see that he emphasizes unity within the Church and unity of heart, which can only be achieved through love and compassion,” the Augustinian vicar told The Jakarta Post, referring to the pope’s episcopal motto, inspired by a sermon on Christian unity by St. Augustine.
Read also: Soft-spoken Leo XIV spent decades amid poor in Peru
