SW News: Muslim-majority Indonesia’s Religious Affairs Minister Yaqut Cholil Qoumas visited the Holy See on Wednesday, June 8, to convey President Joko Widodo’s invitation to Pope Francis to visit the nation. Qoumas told the Holy Father that the Ministry of Religious Affairs had declared 2022 as the ‘Year of Tolerance’ and that this declaration was a manifestation of the government’s strong commitment to always maintaining tolerance both in religion and politics.

He highlighted the country’s generosity by further saying, “Indonesia maintains tolerance and peace among people from different religious backgrounds, including followers of traditional beliefs and we would love to see His Holiness in Indonesia to get first-hand experience about this diversity.”

Moreover, the minister conveyed the greetings from the Indonesian Catholic community, including all the prelates, who are expecting to see Pope Francis in person. He also said they are praying for him to be in good health.

UCA News quoted the chairman of the Indonesian bishops’ Commission for Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs Archbishop Yohanes Harun Yuwono of Palembang as saying, “We are surely happy with the government’s invitation and all Catholics really want to see him.”

The prelate has even suggested that the government should not only invite the pope but also religious leaders from all over the world to visit Indonesia to witness and experience the harmonious society.This was the minister’s second meeting with the Holy Father, the first one being in September 2019 which was to express support for the Document on Human Fraternity, signed by Pope Francis and the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar Sheikh Ahmed El-Tayeb in Abu Dhabi in 2018.

As per the latest population census data, 87 per cent of Indonesians are Muslims, followed by 9.87 per cent of Christians and 30 per cent of its Christian population adhere to the Catholic faith. The first evangelization of the nation started with the arrival of St Francis Xavier in the 16th century.

However, the first Christian presence dates back to 1318 when the Franciscan friar Odorico Pordenone landed in Java. At a time when vocations are on the decline in many parts of the West, Indonesian missionaries are spread across more than 70 countries.