Linda Bordoni (Jakarta)
Pope Francis’ dream for a more fraternal world was at the heart of his message to Indonesia and the world on Wednesday, his first day in the country.
That was the message he inscribed in an installation made by young people from Jakarta’s Skola Oculentes, a polyhedral sculpture made from a variety of recyclable materials, colors and fabrics. He then listened to some of their stories and told them that it was OK to disagree and argue with their friends, but to never wage war. “War is always losing,” he said, tirelessly repeating his appeal for fraternity in a broken world.
Earlier, during a meeting with bishops, priests, deacons, consecrated persons, seminarians and catechists at the city’s cathedral, the Pope told them to remain open to all, including the majority of Indonesians who are not Christian, and to work hard for faith and harmony.
The Pope most thanked the catechists for their work and mission in this diverse country. He said they are the ones who carry the Church forward and are the bridges that connect the different peoples of Indonesia: “First the catechists, then the sisters, then the priests and bishops,” and he reiterated that “the catechists are the true strength of the Church!”
And at the start of the day, during an official welcoming ceremony at the Presidential Palace, Pope Francis endorsed Indonesia’s national motto, “Unity in Diversity,” and expressed appreciation for the country’s multifaceted reality, where diverse people are firmly united in one nation. But the Pope warned that “harmony in diversity requires embracing a spirit of fraternity in which all seek the benefit of all,” and that this means finding and maintaining a balance, or in other words, nurturing love, “between cultural diversity and different ideological visions.”