Pope Francis has set off on the longest journey of his papacy, a 12-day tour of four Asian countries, despite health issues.
He has been dealing with knee pain, sciatica, and post-surgery effects on his intestine.
As per multiple outlets, the trip will cover over 20,000 miles and includes Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, East Timor, and Singapore.
After a 13-hour flight from Rome, the 87-year-old Pope arrived in Jakarta, Indonesia, where he was seen using a wheelchair.
Pope Francis is the first pope to visit Indonesia since John Paul II in 1989. A mass at Jakarta’s main stadium is expected to draw around 60,000 people.
Upon arrival, Pope Francis received a bouquet of vegetables, fruits, spices, and flowers from children in traditional attire and met with migrants and refugees at the Vatican ambassador’s residence.
The visit aims to continue his focus on reaching out to less-represented areas of the world.
On Thursday, he will participate in an interfaith meeting at Jakarta’s Istiqlal mosque with representatives from Islam, Buddhism, Confucianism, Hinduism, Catholicism, and Protestantism.
Dialogue with other religions and environmental concerns are key themes of his papacy.
