Pope Francis Embarks on 12-Day Southeast Asia and Oceania Tour

Pope Francis departed Indonesia for Papua New Guinea, marking the next leg of his 12-day journey across Southeast Asia and Oceania. In Indonesia, he urged political leaders to counteract religious extremism and called for joint action on climate change. His visit will continue in Papua New Guinea, East Timor, and Singapore.

Pope Francis departed from Indonesia on Friday morning, heading to Papua New Guinea as part of a 12-day tour through Southeast Asia and Oceania. The 87-year-old leader of the global Catholic Church is set to continue his ambitious journey, emphasizing the importance of environmental and interfaith issues.

The papal aircraft, operated by Garuda Indonesia, left Jakarta's airport, en route to Port Moresby, the capital of Papua New Guinea. The Pope and his entourage will spend three nights there, making a day trip to Vanimo before departing on Monday. Subsequent stops include East Timor and Singapore, with the entire tour concluding in Rome on September 13.

In Indonesia, Francis stressed the need for political leaders to counter religious extremism. He visited the Istiqlal Mosque and signed a landmark statement with the national grand imam, urging concerted efforts by both Catholics and Muslims to tackle climate change. This issue remains a focal point as he heads to Papua New Guinea, a country recently afflicted by climate-related disasters.

(With inputs from agencies.)