Jokowi Admires Pope Francis' Attitude To Continue To Call For Peace In Palestine

President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) when receiving Pope Francis at the Jakarta Palace, Wednesday, September 4, 2024 (ANTARA)

JAKARTA - Indonesian President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) appreciates the attitude of the Vatican which continues to voice and call for peace in Palestine and supports the two-state solution, namely Israel and Palestine.

"As we all know, conflicts and wars occur in various parts of the world, including in Palestine which has claimed more than 40,000 lives," President Jokowi said in remarks at a meeting with the supreme leader of the world Catholic Church and Vatican Head of State Pope Francis with the Diplomatic Corps and community representatives at the State Palace, Jakarta, Wednesday, September 4.

The President said that Indonesia and the Vatican are committed to jointly spreading the spirit of peace and tolerance in the midst of an increasingly volatile world, including conflicts in the Middle East.

"Because war will not benefit anyone, war will only bring suffering and misery to the small community," said President Jokowi.

Pope Francis' visit to Indonesia is the third time after Pope Paul VI in 1970 and Pope John Paul II's visit in 1989.

Pope Francis as the leader of the world's Catholics traveled automatically to Asia Pacific in September 2024. There are four countries that will be visited including Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Timor Leste, and Singapore.

Indonesia became the first country visited from September 3 to 6, 2024.

The journey to the Asia Pacific region for 11 days or to be precise on September 3-13, 2024 will be the longest visit of the 87-year-old Holy Father since 11 years of leading Catholics.

The election of Indonesia as the first country that Pope Francis visited because in this country with a population of 279 million people and the majority of Muslims, a Christian population of around 20.5 million people with 8.5 million of them are Catholics.