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Pope opens Asia odyssey with stop in Indonesia to rally Catholics, hail religious freedom tradition
World

Pope opens Asia odyssey with stop in Indonesia to rally Catholics, hail religious freedom tradition

  • By NICOLE WINFIELD and EDNA TARIGAN Associated Press

Pope Francis has arrived in Indonesia to start the longest trip of his pontificate. He is hoping to encourage its Catholic communities and celebrate the tradition of interfaith harmony in a country with the world's largest Muslim population. Francis planned to take a rest day after arriving on Tuesday in Jakarta. However, the Vatican said he met with a group of refugees, migrants and sick people at the Vatican residence in Jakarta. The highlight of the first leg of Francis' trip will be his participation Thursday in an interfaith meeting in the Istiqlal mosque, which sits across a square from Jakarta's main Catholic cathedral. The 11-day voyage will also take him to Papua New Guinea, East Timor and Singapore.

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  • Reuters
  • Updated

Former President Donald Trump speaks to the media as he attends trial in a civil fraud case in New York.