Jakarta. It was a scorching hot Wednesday afternoon, but countless Indonesians were patiently waiting across the Jakarta Cathedral to see Pope Francis in person. 

Some of the worshippers have been standing by the gates of Southeast Asia’s largest mosque -- the Istiqlal -- which is right across the cathedral since around 2 p.m. The 87-year-old Catholic leader arrived at 4.30 p.m. The crowd cheered on top of their lungs as soon as the car that had the pope inside neared the Cathedral. Children with the Vatican and Indonesian flags on their hands were shouting “Viva Il Papa!” to welcome the pope. Some of the kids played Indonesian traditional songs on the Sundanese musical instrument of angklung. 

Yuvinia was part of the crowd who stood by the Istiqlal Mosque for the pope all day. She is part of the Timika diocese from the Central Papua province. Interfaith harmony had been a major theme of the pope’s visit to the multifaith and archipelagic Indonesia. 

“We hope Pope Francis’ visit brings blessings, peace, tranquility for us, especially for those in Papua,” Yuvinia told the Jakarta Globe.

Papua lies in the easternmost part of Indonesia. According to Yuvinia, Papua has been synonymous with conflicts, among other things. The pope’s Indonesia trip entirely takes place in the Jakarta metropolis. But Yuvinia is hoping that “the pope's presence can bless [Indonesia] with peace, not just in Jakarta, but also in Papua.”

As part of his Jakarta trip, the pope gathered bishops, deacons, and seminarians, among others, at the cathedral. In his address, Pope Francis talked of the meaning behind the word “fraternity” which was central to his Jakarta visit.

“No two drops of water are alike, nor are two brothers or sisters, not even twins are completely identical. Living out fraternity, then, means welcoming each other, recognizing each other as equal in diversity,” Pope Francis said.

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