REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA — Indonesian President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) said the visit of the world's top Catholic Church leader, Pope Francis, to Indonesia had a strong message about the importance of celebrating differences.
“This visit has a very strong message about the importance of celebrating differences,” President Jokowi said in remarks at a meeting of Pope Francis with the Diplomatic Corps and representatives of the public at Istana Negara, Jakarta, on Wednesday.
During the meeting, the Head of State said that Indonesia is a composite country made up of diverse ethnic groups, namely 714 tribes and 17,000 inhabited islands.
According to the President, Indonesians on the 17,000 islands have different cultures, religions, and tribes, so Indonesians also continue to strive to maintain harmony amid the devastation they have.