All the speeches, homilies and messages of Pope Francis in Asia and Oceania

We offer the compilation of the official version in Spanish provided by the Vatican of all the speeches, homilies and messages of Pope Francis’ apostolic trip to Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, East Timor and Singapore, between September 2 and 13, 2024.

Speech by Pope Francis addressed to the authorities, civil society and the Diplomatic Corps gathered at the Presidential Palace of Indonesia, the first stop on his trip to Asia and Oceania, the longest of his pontificate.

Mr. President,
distinguished authorities,
most eminent lords Cardinals,
Bishops,
Distinguished Representatives of religious communities and various religions,
illustrious representatives of civil society,
members of the diplomatic corps:

I cordially thank you, Mr. President, for the pleasant invitation to visit the country, as well as for your kind words of greeting. I wish to express to the President-elect my most cordial wishes for fruitful work in the service of Indonesia, an extensive archipelago of thousands and thousands of islands bathed by the sea that connects Asia with Oceania.

One could almost say that, just as the ocean is the natural element that unites all the Indonesian islands, so the mutual respect for the specific cultural, ethnic, linguistic and religious particularities of all the human groups that make up Indonesia is the thread indispensable driver that makes the Indonesian people stay united and proud.

Your national mottoThe single difference is” (“Unity in diversity“, which literally means “many but one“) reveals this multiform reality of peoples that are diverse, but firmly integrated into a single nation. And it also shows that, just as the great biodiversity present in this archipelago is a source of wealth and splendor, similarly, the specific differences contribute to forming a magnificent mosaic, in which each piece is an irreplaceable element in the composition of an original work. and beautiful. And this is your treasure, it is your greatest wealth.

Harmony in respect for differences is achieved when each particular opinion takes into account the needs that are common and when each ethnic group and religious confession acts in a spirit of fraternity, pursuing the noble objective of serving the good of all. Being aware that one is participating in a shared history in which each one makes his or her own contribution, and where the solidarity of each person towards the whole is fundamental, helps to identify appropriate solutions, to avoid the polarization of differences and transform confrontation into effective collaboration.

This wise and delicate balance between the multiplicity of cultures, the different ideological visions and the reasons that underpin unity must be continually defended against any imbalance. It is an artisanal work, I repeat, an artisanal work that corresponds to everyone, but in a special way to the task carried out by politics, when harmony, equity, respect for the fundamental rights of human beings are proposed as goals. , sustainable development, solidarity and the achievement of peace, both within society and in the relationship with other peoples and nations. And here lies the greatness of politics. A wise man already said it, that politics is the highest form of charity. This is wonderful.

In order to promote a peaceful and constructive harmony that guarantees peace and unifies efforts to overcome the imbalances and pockets of misery that still persist in some areas, the Church wishes to increase interreligious dialogue. In this way, prejudices can be eliminated and a climate of respect and mutual trust will be fostered, essential factors to face common challenges, among which, contrasting extremism and intolerance, which – distorting religion – try to impose themselves. using deception and violence. On the other hand, closeness, listening to the opinions of others, that creates the brotherhood of a nation. And that is something very beautiful, very beautiful.

The Catholic Church places itself at the service of the common good and wishes to strengthen cooperation with public institutions and other civil society organizations, but never by proselytizing, never; but respects the faith of each person. And with this she stimulates the formation of a more balanced social fabric and guaranteeing a more efficient and equitable distribution of social assistance.

Let me now make an allusion to the Preamble of your 1945 Constitution, which offers valuable indications on the direction of the path that democratic and independent Indonesia has chosen. This is a very beautiful story; When one reads it, one realizes that it was chosen by everyone.

In just a few lines, the Preamble twice refers to Almighty God and the need for His blessing to descend upon the nascent State of Indonesia. Likewise, the introductory text of your Basic Law refers twice to social justice, promoting the establishment of an international order based on it, as one of the main objectives to be achieved for the benefit of all the Indonesian people.

Unity in multiplicity, social justice, divine blessing are, therefore, the fundamental principles intended to inspire and guide specific programs, they are like the support structure, the solid foundation on which to build the house. And how can we not notice that these principles correspond very well with the motto of my visit to Indonesia: “Faith, brotherhood and compassion”?

However, unfortunately there are some trends in today’s world that hinder the development of universal brotherhood (cf. letter enc. Brothers all, 9). In various regions we see violent conflicts arising, which are often the result of a lack of mutual respect, of the intolerant desire to make one’s own interests, one’s own position or one’s own partial vision of history prevail at all costs, even if this means a endless suffering for entire communities and give rise to real bloody wars.

Sometimes violent tensions also arise within the states themselves, because those in power want to standardize everything, imposing their vision even on matters whose decision should be left to the autonomy of each individual or group.

On the other hand, despite persuasive political statements, there are many situations in which an effective, broad-minded commitment to building social justice is lacking. As a consequence, a considerable part of humanity is relegated to the margins, deprived of the adequate means for a dignified existence, and without defenses to confront the serious and growing social imbalances that cause serious conflicts. And how do they resolve this? Through legislation of death, that is, limiting birth rates, limiting the greatest wealth that a country has, which is births. In your country, on the other hand, there are families of three, four and even five children who are thriving. And this is noticeable in the average age of the country. Keep it up. He is an example for all nations. This may seem curious, but some families prefer to have a cat or a small dog, and not a child. This is not right.

In other contexts, furthermore, people consider that they can or should do without the search for God’s blessing, judging it superfluous for human beings and for civil society, it is thought that these should be promoted with their own forces, however, when Doing so is often met with frustration and failure. And conversely, there are cases in which faith in God is continually placed in the foreground, but often, unfortunately, to be manipulated and serve not to build peace, communion, dialogue, respect, collaboration and brotherhood, to build the country, but to foment divisions and hatred.

Brothers and sisters, in the face of these shadows, it is pleasant to observe how the philosophy that inspires the organization of the Indonesian State manifests wisdom and balance. In this regard, I make my own the words that Saint John Paul II spoke during his visit to this same palace, in 1989. Among other things, he stated: “In the recognition of the presence of a legitimate plurality, in respect for the Human and political Rights of all citizens, and in supporting the growth of national unity based on tolerance and respect for the “In addition, you lay the foundations of the just and peaceful society that Indonesians want for themselves and want to pass on to their children” (Address to the President of the Republic of IndonesiaJakarta, October 9, 1989).

In the course of historical events, even if sometimes the inspiring principles, previously recalled, have not always had the force to prevail in all circumstances, they remain valid and reliable, like a lighthouse that shows us the direction to take. and warns us about the most dangerous mistakes to avoid.

Mr. President, ladies and gentlemen, I hope that everyone, in their daily work, knows how to be inspired by these principles and make them effective in the ordinary performance of their respective functions, because the work of justice and peacepeace is the fruit of justice. Harmony, in fact, is achieved when each person commits themselves, not only based on their own interests and their own vision, but with a view to the good of all, to build bridges, to favor agreements and create synergies, to unite efforts and defeat all forms of moral, economic and social misery, and to promote peace and harmony.

Dear brothers and sisters, continue on this path, which is good and correct, and which thus brings blessing to all the people: may God bless Indonesia with peace, for a future full of hope. And may God bless you all!