Pope discusses diversity and unity with Indonesian young people

By Francesca Merlo

A much awaited meeting, as Pope Francis begins his 45th Apostolic Journey abroad. The encounter with members of Scholas Occurentes - a regular feature of the Pope's foreign visits - always touches on some of the themes most important to the Holy Father’s heart and to his pontificate. They go hand in hand with the motto of the Indonesian people: “Bhinneka Tunggal Ika”, or Unity in Diversity.

Scholas, a global educational project founded by the Pope, focuses on engaging youth in education, art, and sports. The 200 young people from the Indonesian branch, who come from various islands, schools, and religions, greeted the Pope in Jakarta’s “Grha Pemuda” Youth House, demonstrating precisely the diversity and unity so important both to the Pope and to the Indonesian people.

The Polyhedron

A sculpture of a polyhedron dominated the room where the meeting took place. So big that the Pope was able to step inside it. It was made by over 1500 young people from Jakarta, Lombok, Labuan Bayo and Bali. Two women inside the Polyhedron greeted Pope Francis, before sharing their testimonies.

The first woman told Pope Francis about her experience in the world of education, one which she says she loves so much that it pushed her to found an educational foundation in her city.  She spoke of her responsibilities as a teacher and as a counsellor, before speaking of the importance of Scholas in her life. “Everything I learnt in Scholas, I applied to my students and colleagues where I work” she said. “The way I was listened to, appreciated, accommodated by my team in Scholas is a tradition that all students need”.

Bryan’s testimony

The theme of unity was reiterated in Bryan’s testimony, as he repeated the country’s motto, explaining that “it means that even though we are different, we are still one”. He asked those present to look around and experience the comfort that each person present feels around the other. However, he continued, it is impossible to ignore that “something is still missing”.

Bryan spoke about the realities regarding discrimination and cyberbullying and about how in Scholas each person is given a platform to talk and share their experiences, both good and bad.

Responding to Bryan, Pope Francis laid out four principles of coexistence and peace: Reality is better than ideas, unity is better than conflict, the whole is better than a part, and the whole is better than an idea.

Christine’s testimony

A young woman, Christine, also shared her testimony. “I experienced cyberbullying firsthand” she told the Pope. “I was cornered and rejected for no reason”. Christine shared her concern at the knowledge that this happens to so many young people around the world.

But through Scholas, Christine says that people can learn that the differences that often divide can also unite.  “We learned to unite our differences, to build bonds of unity, and to understand that differences are not a path to destruction, but rather a step towards unity”.

"If we were all the same", Pope Francis told her, "that would be boring. Difference can give rise to war, or to dialogue - we have to choose. War is always a defeat, but discussing with your friends - that's a beautiful thing, that can make you grow."