JAKARTA: Several excited Indonesians waved on Tuesday as a motorcade carried Pope Francis through the capital as he began the first leg of an ambitious Asia-Pacific tour expected to urge global action on climate change as part of his longest trip yet.

The 87-year-old pontiff, who will also visit East Timor, Singapore and Papua New Guinea over the next 10 days, was seated in a wheelchair as a lift disembarked him from a chartered aircraft at Jakarta airport.

Two children in traditional clothes presented a bouquet of local produce before the pope was greeted by Indonesia’s religious affairs minister, its Vatican envoy and several of its bishops on a red carpet flanked by honour guards. Pope Francis then drove off in a waiting car, waving and smiling. As his motorcade passed through Jakarta towards the Vati­can embassy, where he is staying, small crowds of people were seen waving excitedly.

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“I’m so happy, I feel so blessed,” said Enny Rahail, 52, travelled 3,000 km to Jakarta from her home in southeast Maluku before standing for two hours in mid-day heat to wave to the pope outside the embassy. “As Indones­ians we are happy because the Catholic leader comes to our country,” said Enny, who called Pope Francis an “advocate for peace” and said she cried as the pope arrived.

The ageing pope was not set to attend any public events on Tuesday, to allow him time for rest after the 13-hour overnight flight from Rome. But shortly after arriving at the embassy, Francis held an informal meeting with a group of refugees living in Indonesia.

Published in Dawn, September 4th, 2024