Jakarta: Pope Francis began an 11-day fast pace four-nation tour across tropical Southeast Asia and Oceania that would test his health and endurance. He encouraged Indonesia to resist religious intolerance and live up to its promise of “harmony in diversity.”
After meeting with departing President Joko Widodo and other Indonesian officials at the presidential palace, Francis spent his first full day in Indonesia attending events. In the afternoon, he welcomed Catholic priests, nuns, and seminarians at Jakarta’s largest cathedral.
Cannons blasted as Francis and President-elect Prabowo Subianto stepped out onto the royal porch to greet Widodo. The first pope to visit in 35 years was greeted by a marching band, stiff-legged soldiers, and youngsters dressed in traditional Indonesian garb.
Francis contrasted the human variety of the nation to the 17,000 islands that make up the archipelago in his speech. As to his statement, every tile makes a distinct contribution to the creation of “a magnificent mosaic, where every tile is an irreplaceable element in creating a great original and precious work.”
Lightning strikes the historic Constantine Arch in Rome.
During a strong rainstorm, lightning hit Rome’s Constantine Arch, which is close to the Colosseum, loosening pieces of the historic building. Workers at the Colosseum Archeological Park retrieved and secured the lightning strike shards on Tuesday right away, according to authorities. They were assessing the damage’s magnitude. “Our employees showed up right away after the lightning hit. The park said that every piece had been located and safely stored.
