Pope Francis received the Indonesian Episcopal Conference for their ad limina visit on Tuesday, the day he usually rests during the week.
“Good morning.”
“Good morning.”
While the pope seemed to have had a bit of a cold, the bishops were clearly thrilled to be with him. NATS :15
Some 37 of them gathered around the pope, in a casual manner. Afterward the pope greeted each bishop one-by-one.
“Your holiness, thank you very much.”
He gave each person a cross and some of his magisterial texts. The pope also joked with one who had slightly lost his voice.
“Thanks for everything Pope Francis.”
“And may the Lord look after your voice.”
Indonesia is a majority-Muslim country, with Catholicism recognized as one of the official state religions.
In May, the Indonesian city of Jakarta faced riots shortly after their presidential election. The bishops issued a declaration to the country, concerned by the lack of unity in the nation and condemning all violence and anarchy.
This desire for unity could have been a point of discussion during their time with the pope.
However, no meeting with Pope Francis couldn't be complete if he didn't ask for prayers.
“Your holiness, thanks so much.”
“Pray for me.”
“Yes, also for me.”
