Pope Francis says war is a defeat: Foreign Minister

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Pope Francis, the world's Catholic leader and Head of the Holy See of the Vatican, said war is a defeat.

He made the remark during a bilateral meeting with President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) on the backyard veranda of the Merdeka Palace, Jakarta, as stated by Foreign Affairs Minister Retno Marsudi.

According to Marsudi, both leaders emphasized the importance of peace.

"The Pope specifically said that war is a defeat because no party benefits from war," she noted in a press statement on Wednesday.

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Hence, the Pope's visit to Indonesia brings a message of peace and mutual respect for one another, she noted.

"The message of peace, celebrating differences, and mutual respect is carried out in Pope Francis' visit. Indonesia is a living laboratory, where differences can be managed well to maintain unity and peace," Marsudi remarked.

Pope Francis is on his apostolic journey to the Asia-Pacific in September 2024. He is scheduled to visit four countries: Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Timor-Leste, and Singapore.

Indonesia is the first country to be visited on September 3-6, 2024. Earlier, Pope Paul VI and Pope John Paul II had visited Indonesia in 1970 and 1989, respectively.

The trip to the Asia-Pacific region for 11 days, or precisely on September 3-13, 2024, will be his longest visit since 11 years of leading Catholics.

On Thursday (September 5), the Pope is scheduled to visit the Istiqlal Mosque in Jakarta and lead a grand holy mass at the Gelora Bung Karno (GBK) Stadium in Jakarta.

Indonesia was chosen as the first country to be visited by the Pope, as this country, with a population of 279 million and the majority being Muslims, the Christian population reaches around 20.5 million, of which 8.5 million are Catholics.