Tangerang, Banten (ANTARA) - Pope Francis, the leader of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican, concluded his apostolic visit to Indonesia on Friday and will continue his Asia-Pacific tour to Papua New Guinea.
The Pope arrived at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport's VVIP terminal on Friday at 10 a.m. Jakarta time under tight security provided by joint military-police officers.
He arrived in a Toyota Kijang Innova Zenix minivan used throughout his visit to Indonesia, which reflected his keenness to "use the most common car as the Indonesian people."
Dressed in white Papal garments, the Pope smiled and waved out to the media and residents awaiting his arrival at the airport.
Pope Francis departed at 10:30 a.m. local time for Port Moresby Airport, Papua New Guinea, aboard the Garuda Indonesia GA7780 commercial flight.
Religious Affairs Minister Yaqut Cholil Qoumas, Presidential Advisory Council member Gandi Sulistyanto, and Indonesian Ambassador to the Holy See Michael Trias Kuncahyono were among the government officials sending off the Pope at the airport.
Soekarno Hatta Airport Deputy Police Chief Adjunct Senior Commissioner Ronald Sipayung confirmed that 675 joint military and police officers were deployed to ensure security during the Pope's departure.
"We also enforced adjustable security measures from the airport entry, areas around the VVIP lounge, terminals, and the north and south perimeters," he stated.
Pope Francis visited Indonesia as part of his 12-day apostolic journey to the Asia-Pacific. The visit, which began on September 3, 2024, and will end on September 13, is the longest the Pope has ever undertaken in 11 years of papacy.
Pope Francis is the third Vatican leader to pay a visit to Indonesia, following Pope Paul VI in 1970 and Pope John Paul II in 1989.
After Papua New Guinea, which became the second leg of his apostolic tour, the Pope will visit Timor-Leste and Singapore.
