Pope makes appeal on extremism as he launches Asia tour

 

Pope Francis appealed Wednesday for religious unity to counter extremism and intolerance, as the longest tour of the 87-year-old's papacy got into full swing in Muslim-majority Indonesia.

On the first full day of his four-nation trip to the Asia-Pacific, the pontiff zeroed in on the role all faiths can play on flashpoint security issues.

"To foster a peaceful and fruitful harmony that ensures peace... the Church desires to strengthen interreligious dialogue," the pope said in a speech after meeting President Joko Widodo.

"(Extremists) through the distortion of religion attempt to impose their views by using deception and violence".

The pope also said self-interest was preventing the religious unity he had called for and was driving wars around the world, without referring to a specific one.

"In various regions, we see the emergence of violent conflicts, which are often the result... of the intolerant desire to let one's interests, one's position, or one's historical narrative prevail at all costs," he said.

Widodo echoed the pope's remarks.

"Freedom and tolerance is what Indonesia, together with the Vatican want, to spread... amid an increasingly turbulent world," he said.

Indonesia, which is the world's most populous Muslim-majority nation, has long struggled with Islamist militancy.

Bombings on the resort island of Bali in 2002 that killed 202 people were the deadliest in Indonesian history and led to a crackdown on militancy.

Catholics represent fewer than three per cent of the population of Indonesia -- about eight million people, compared with the 87 per cent, or 242 million, who are Muslim.

But they are one of six officially recognised religions or denominations in the nominally secular nation, including Protestantism, Buddhism, Hinduism and Confucianism.

The trip to Indonesia is the third ever by a pope and the first since John Paul II in 1989.

Fragile health

The pope's fragile health is set to be tested on the trip, which will also take in Papua New Guinea, East Timor and Singapore.

He had not travelled abroad since visiting Marseille in France in September last year.

Accompanying him to Indonesia are his personal doctor and two nurses, but Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni said that was standard procedure.

The pontiff appeared refreshed when he arrived in Jakarta from Rome on Tuesday, and again when he met Widodo on Wednesday morning in the first major set piece of his tour.

He arrived in a civilian Toyota car, sitting in the front passenger seat before getting out in a wheelchair to greet spectators.

Hundreds of children wearing traditional costumes screamed, shouting "welcome pope" and waving flags.

He was greeted by Widodo and Defence Minister Prabowo Subianto, the country's president-elect who will take office next month.

The pontiff got out of his wheelchair using a cane for talks with the Indonesian leader.

As he left the palace, dozens waiting outside tried to chase his car.

The pope was later scheduled to hold a private meeting with members of the Society of Jesus -- the Jesuit order to which he belongs -- at the Holy See's mission in Jakarta.

Meeting the faithful

Interfaith ties are the central theme of his Indonesia leg.

He is due to host a meeting Thursday with representatives from all six religions at the Istiqlal Mosque, the largest in Southeast Asia and a symbol of religious co-existence.

He will sign a joint declaration with the mosque's grand imam focusing on "dehumanisation" through the spread of conflict, as well as environmental degradation, according to the Indonesian bishops' conference.

The pope will on Thursday host a mass at the country's 80,000 national football stadium, which Catholics are expected to pack out.

In a sign of solidarity, the religious affairs ministry has called on TV stations to not run daily Muslim dusk prayer videos during the mass, and use text reminders instead.

Before that the pope will try to energise the local Catholic faithful on Wednesday afternoon with an address at Jakarta's cathedral, which sits across the road from the mosque.

The cathedral, linked to the mosque by a "tunnel of friendship", was rebuilt at the end of the 19th century after a fire and in recent days Christians have been taking selfies with a life-sized pope cutout there.

The pope will end his day with a meeting with young people who are part of a global network of schools aimed at helping disadvantaged children, which he established in 2013.