Catholics, Muslims welcome Pope Francis in Indonesia

JAKARTA – On Pope Francis’s first full day of events in Jakarta, both Muslim leaders and local Catholics have welcomed his visit, calling it a blessing and an opportunity to boost Indonesia’s profile as a place of tolerance.

Speaking to Crux, Father Matthew Pawai, a priest from Jakarta who attended Pope Francis’s Sept. 4 meeting with bishops, clergy and religious in Indonesia, said the pope’s presence “is meaningful for me” and makes him “very proud to be a Catholic.”

“We were longing for him...