This group from Kupang in southeast Indonesia wanted to come to Rome to be blessed by the pope.
Their country has a Muslim majority. Only eight out of every 100 inhabitants are Christians, and of them, few are Catholics.
THEODORUS
“This is the first time in Rome to meet the Pope. We have come to Rome as pilgrims. We are very happy because we were blessed by the Pope.”
They say they're proponents of the Pancasila movement, the state philosophy of Indonesia that was promoted by President Ahmed Sukarno in 1945.
It proposes five pillars that have allowed for religious coexistence in the country: belief in one God; just and civilized humanity; Indonesian unity; democracy guided by internal wisdom; and social justice for all Indonesians.
THEODORUS
“The situation of Catholics in Indonesia is very peaceful. The life of religious is very peaceful. We live in harmony. Pancesila is our ideology and this is very useful for our life.”
Rome is only one of the stops on an intense pilgrimage. To bid farewell to the Eternal City and invite others to visit their country, they sang a traditional song.
