Pope Leo greets Michael Trias Kuncahyono, Indonesia's Ambassador to the Holy See, during the audience on September 22, 2025 (@Vatican Media)
Pope encourages Indonesians in Rome to foster dialogue,
harmony
Pope Leo XIV meets with the Indonesian Catholic community in
Rome, and invites them to build bonds of friendship and paths of dialogue.
By Devin Watkins
Pope Leo XIV held an audience on Monday with Catholics from
Indonesia living in Rome to mark the first anniversary of Pope Francis’
Apostolic Journey to the country and the 75th anniversary of diplomatic
relations between the Holy See and Indonesia.
In his address, the Pope recalled that the Holy See has
walked with the Southeast Asian nation since its independence.
Those ties, he said, have been built on respect, dialogue,
and a shared commitment to peace and harmony.
Pope Leo recalled Pope Francis’ Apostolic Journey to
Indonesia as a special visit that deepened this friendship.
Interreligious dialogue featured prominently in the late
Pope’s visit, especially during his visit to the Istiqlal Mosque, where he
signed a joint declaration with the Grand Imam to foster unity for the good of
humanity.
“This gathering itself is a sign of the good fruits of faith
and unity,” said Pope Leo. “Even far from home, you preserve your vibrant
traditions and care for one another.”
Indonesia is regarded as the world’s most-populous
Muslim-majority nation, and Catholics make up around 3% of the population.
The Pope noted the strong ties that Indonesian Christians
and non-Christians share for each other, which he said embodies the nation’s
motto, “Unity in Diversity.”
“As Pope Francis said in Jakarta,” he said, “the peoples of
Indonesia form a ‘unifying fabric’ when bound by the pursuit of the common
good; indeed, maintaining harmony amid diversity is like a delicate ‘work of
craftsmanship entrusted to everyone’.”
Pope Leo expressed appreciation for expat Indonesian
Catholics’ desire to practice solidarity by welcoming new migrants while
sharing their culture with local communities, saying they offer an example of
the “culture of encounter.”
“I urge you to be prophets of communion in a world that so
often seeks to divide and provoke,” he said. “The path of dialogue—the path of
friendship—may be challenging, but it yields the precious fruit of peace.”
In conclusion, Pope Leo XIV invited Indonesians living in
Rome to be both faithful Catholics and proud Indonesians, “devoted to the
Gospel and to building harmony in society.”
He entrusted them to the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the
Church, and prayed that they may continue to be “bridge-builders between
peoples, cultures, and faiths.”
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