The Pope's visit is a chance for Indonesia to showcase its credentials as a moderate Muslim-majority country, according to some observers.

"Interfaith dialogue has been going on in Indonesia for many years, and many people have been actively involved in that," Matius Ho, executive director of Leimena Institute, a Christian group in Indonesia, told BBC Newsday.

Nevertheless, there are some in Indonesia who hope the Pope will speak up on behalf of the religious minorities within the country who say that they feel the government does not do enough to protect them from persecution.

On the side of the Vatican, the trip is an opportunity to highlight the global importance of Islamic-Christian dialogue, according to Michel Chambon, a theologian and anthropologist at the National University of Singapore.

"[The visit] is not simply regional," Chambon told the BBC. "It is much more a global statement to reaffirm the universal possibility for Christian-Muslim fraternal engagement."

Hanna Samosir
Reporting from Jakarta

A number of Jakarta residents welcomed Pope Francis at the Soekarno Hatta International Airport on Tuesday. And despite many only seeing the car carrying Francis from a distance, they were thrilled.

“The mere sight of the Pope’s hat heals me,” said Yohana Victoria, 47, while waving at Francis’ car ing across the street.

Victoria made a point of leaving her house near the airport at 8:30am so she could see Francis, as she could not attend the grand mass at the Gelora Bung Karno Stadium.

“I am very grateful that the Pope can still come to Indonesia to bring a mission of peace, tolerance, love, and forgiveness,” she said.

Heru Purwanta, 69, also went out of his way to travel 26.5 km from his house to the airport just to see Francis’ arrival.

“I really wanted to see it because this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” he said. "I really want to see Pope Francis because he has a lot of influence on the world."

Davide Ghiglione
Reporting from Vatican City

Pope Francis' visit to Indonesia underscores the Catholic Church's concern for a region that is both rich in natural and mineral resources and increasingly vulnerable to geopolitical struggles. Indonesia is a focal point in the global race for control over key commodities, such as nickel, the most important metal used for batteries of electric vehicles. This has made parts of the country battlegrounds for influence and exploitation.

Indonesia is also acutely vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, which is exacerbating issues such as deforestation, rising sea levels, and extreme weather events. These environmental crises threaten both the livelihoods of millions and the very ecosystems that sustain the country's rich biodiversity. Pope Francis, a vocal advocate for environmental stewardship, is expected to address these urgent issues during his visit.

The Pope's agenda in Indonesia will likely emphasise the need for sustainable development practices that protect both people and the environment. By advocating for the responsible management of Indonesia's natural resources and highlighting the ethical dimensions of climate change, Pope Francis is positioning the Catholic Church as a moral voice in the ongoing struggle for a just and sustainable future.

Let's take a closer look at Francis' itinerary for this ambitious four-nation trip.

He has just arrived in the Indonesian capital Jakarta, where he will spend three days. During that time he'll visit the main mosque, meet with outgoing president Joko Widodo, and hold a mass for some 70,000 people.

Francis' next stop is Papua New Guinea. There, he will travel to the remote, poverty-wracked city of Vanimo to meet with missionaries from his native Argentina who have been reaching out to tribal communities.

Then, in Timor-Leste, Francis will officiate mass in the capital Dili, on the same seaside esplanade where John Paul II spoke in 1989 to comfort local Catholics who suffered under Indonesian occupation.

Finally, the Pope will wrap up his trip in Singapore, where he will celebrate mass at the 55,000-seater National Stadium.

He will travel back to Rome on 13 September.

Image source, Getty Images

Since his election in 2013, Francis has urged the Catholic Church to bring God's comfort "toward the periphery" - referring to communities who are marginalised or far away.

Some observers suggest he chose to visit these four island nations to demonstrate that resolve.

Francis has for the past decade been increasing his engagements with Asia Pacific, a fast-growing region.

Just over a year into his pontificate, he made four long-distance trips to the continent: to South Korea, Sri Lanka, the Philippines, and Japan. Only 0.5% of Japan's population identified as Catholic at the time.

Other Asian countries Francis has visited include Bangladesh, Mongolia, Myanmar, and Thailand.

He has reportedly sought meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping, but to no avail. No pope has been able to visit China to date, as relations between the Vatican and the Chinese Communist Party have been strained by disputes over who can appoint bishops in the country.

Organisers in Indonesia have emphasised that Francis' visit will not be luxurious.

"He will take an ordinary car, not a luxury car, not a bulletproof car," said Antonius Gregorius, a media coordinator on the organising committee.

His main vehicle will be a Toyota Kijiang Innova Zenix, "a car that the common Indonesians use", CNN Indonesia reported, citing Mr Gregorious.

Mr Gregorious also stressed that Francis flew on Italy's national carrier, ITA Airways, rather than in a private jet.

Nor will the Pope be staying in a luxury hotel, said the chairman of the organising committee Ignasius Jonan, adding that Francis is a "humble person". He will instead reside at the Vatican Embassy in Indonesia.

Here's a look at the Pope getting a warm welcome as he touches down in Indonesia, the first stop of his four-nation tour in the Asia Pacific.

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Reuters

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, EPA

Image source, EPA

Indonesia has tightened security in the lead-up to Francis' arrival, with 9,000 police and military officials to be deployed throughout his four-day visit.

Francis is only the third pope to visit Indonesia, which has the largest population of Muslims globally.

He arrived in Jakarta at around 11:30am local time (04:30 GMT).

During his stay in Indonesia, he will visit the capital city's main mosque, meet with outgoing president Joko Widodo, and hold a mass for some 70,000 people.

A reminder that you can watch the livestream of his arrival by clicking the play button above.

Image source, EPA

Hanna Samosir
Reporting from Jakarta

Observers say Francis' visit to Indonesia highlights his interest to deepen dialogue between Christian and Muslim communities.

"For the longest time, there [have been] tensions. [Both groups have had] misunderstandings over the course of history," said Jonathan Tan, a religious studies expert at the Case Western Reserve University in the US.

"I think what the Pope wants to do is to do a new way forward, a new way of relating to one another, not a defensive way," he said.

More than 87% of Indonesia's population, or about 242 million people, are Muslims. Catholics make up just 3% of the country's population.

Ignatius Suharyo, the Archbishop of Jakarta, said Pope Francis wants to live up to the legacy of Francis of Assisi, the 13th-Century saint whose name he adopted in 2013.

"Francis of Assisi crossed the battlefield to meet with one of the Muslim leaders there. So that character... is something [Pope Francis] wants to embody and show," Suharyo said.

Image source, Getty Images

Pope Francis has landed at Jakarta's Soekarno–Hatta airport for the first leg of his 12-day trip to Asia and Oceania.

He arrived on a chartered flight, accompanied by his entourage and international reporters.

You can watch live footage of the Pope's arrival by clicking the play button above.

Image source, Getty Images

This trip is sure to be challenging for Pope Francis, who turns 88 in December and has been battling a spate of health issues.

Concerns have been raised over the impact of such an ambitious itinerary on his ailing health. He will be accompanied by a doctor and two nurses throughout his travels.

No other pope has made an international trip at this age. Francis's immediate predecessor Benedict XVI resigned at 85, while John Paul II last travelled abroad at the age of 84 - a year before he died.

Francis, who had part of one lung removed in his younger days, has struggled with respiratory and mobility problems of late, some of which have led him to miss his weekly Sunday blessings.

In November last year, he cancelled his trip to the annual United Nations climate meeting COP28 in Dubai because of a lung inflammation.

He's been getting around in a wheelchair since 2022 due to a knee fracture and strained ligaments.

Pope Francis is expected to discuss environmental concerns and the importance of interfaith dialogue during his 12-day trip to South East Asia. Notably, Timor-Leste is the only one of the four countries that is predominantly Catholic.

This trip also reinforces the importance of Asia for the Catholic Church, according to observers. The region is one of only a few places in the world where the church's presence is growing in of baptised faithful and religious vocations.

Parts of Francis' trip retraces the steps of St John Paul II, who also visited the four nations during his 27-year pontificate.

"Today I begin an Apostolic Journey to several countries in Asia and Oceania. Please pray that this journey may bear fruit," Francis wrote on X on Monday.

Gavin Butler
Live editor

Welcome to our live coverage of Pope Francis' visit to South East Asia - the longest and farthest trip of his tenure.

The pontiff is expected to be greeted with much fanfare when he arrives in the Indonesian capital of Jakarta in half an hour. Although the country is home to the world's largest Muslim population, about 3% of its 270 million people are Catholic - and Francis is the third pope to visit the country.

While there, he's expected to meet with outgoing president Joko Widodo, visit Jakarta's main mosque and hold a mass for some 70,000 people.

He will then travel to Papua New Guinea, Timor-Leste and Singapore, headlining more than 40 events as part of a trip that was originally scheduled for 2020 but postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The 12-day trip will mark the longest time the pontiff has spent away from the Vatican.

Stay with us as we give you updates from his arrival.