'We ask the Pope from Indonesia to bring a message of peace to world'

By Deborah Castellano Lubov and Linda Bordoni - Jakarta

"We ask Pope Francis from the heart of Indonesia to share a message of peace with the world."

In an interview with Vatican News in Jakarta on the sidelines of the Pope's encounter with Scholas Occurrentes on Wednesday, Maria Paz Jurado, the Director of Scholas' International Projects, expressed this message of hope.

The Indonesia leg of the Holy Father's Apostolic Journey to Asia and Oceania, marking the longest visit thus far of the papacy, is in full swing.

On Wednesday, he met with authorities, clergy, his Jesuit confrères, but wished to spend his last event of the day with the Vatican Foundation. In this context, the Scholas representative discussed how important the Pope's visit there was for their community.

Scholas Occurrentes, a Vatican Foundation and global educational project founded by the Pope, focuses on engaging youth in education, art, and sports.

Some 200 young people from the Indonesian branch, who come from various islands, schools, and religions, greeted the Pope on Wednesday in Jakarta’s Grha Pemuda Youth House, where a sculpture of a polyhedron dominated the room where the meeting took place, and where the themes of diversity and unity were emphasized.

Pope's impact

In the interview, Ms. Jurado discussed how Indonesia's values and peaceful coexistence are in line with the peaceful messages the Pope has promoted throughout his pontificate.

"This country of Indonesia," she said, "represents strongly several important ideas that Pope Francis tries to bring to the world, especially the idea of Unity in Diversity, or 'Bhinneka Tunggal Ika,' as they say here in Indonesia."

"Therefore," she said, "I believe his presence here in the biggest Muslim democracy of the world, is a huge and very important message for peace and encounter, to the whole world."

Thus, she continued, "we are absolutely excited to have His Holiness here," especially so he will be able to hear from the young people themselves about what they are thinking and feeling, as well as "their concerns, and their dreams, for Indonesia and for the world."

Globalization at its best

Pope Francis frequently says the young people are the future, who need our support.

"The whole country is absolutely enthusiastic. With the arrival of Pope Francis," noted Ms. Jurado, "we have worked with more than 2500 youngsters and not only youngsters, but also with people who are in prison. We work with a lot of social organizations, and we have created this artistic installation, the polyhedron, that Pope Francis is visiting."

Reflecting on the polyhedron, she observed that "Pope Francis says that globalization should be a polyhedron, in which each community preserves their own identities, but we create a whole."

Appeal for message of peace

Noting that the polyhedron they created has the shape of a heart, she said, "With this artistic work, we are trying to represent the heart of Indonesia, which in itself embraces diversity as a very important part of the country, and the Constitution as well."

"And we ask Pope Francis from the heart of Indonesia to share a message of peace to the world."

Pope Francis encounters Scholas in Jakarta, Indonesia.