In Asia, pope urges Indonesia to live up to promise of 'harmony in diversity,' fight extremism

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — Pope Francis urged Indonesia to live up to its promise of “harmony in diversity” and fight religious intolerance on Wednesday, as he set a rigorous pace for an 11-day, four-nation trip through tropical Southeast Asia and Oceania that will test his stamina and health.

Francis had a packed first full day in Indonesia, meeting with outgoing President Joko Widodo and other Indonesian authorities at the presidential palace, and then greeting Catholic priests, nuns and seminarians at Jakarta’s main cathedral in the afternoon.

Cannons boomed as Francis joined Widodo on the veranda of the palace along with President-elect Prabowo Subianto. A marching band, stiff-legged troops and children in traditional Indonesian dress welcomed the first pope to visit in 35 years.

In his remarks to the Indonesian authorities, Francis compared the country's human diversity with the archipelago’s 17,000 islands. He said each one contributes something specific to form “a magnificent mosaic, in which each tile is an irreplaceable element in creating a great original and precious work.”

And yet, Francis warned that such diversity can also become a source of conflict. It was an apparent reference to episodes of intolerance that have flared in recent years in Indonesia as well as a broader concern about conflicts raging around the world.

“This wise and delicate balance, between the multiplicity of cultures and different ideological visions, and the ideals that cement unity, must be continuously defended against imbalances,” Francis said. Political leaders, he said, had a particular role to play but he also assured Widodo of the Catholic Church’s commitment to increasing interreligious dialogue.

“This is indispensable for meeting common challenges, including that of countering extremism and intolerance, which through the distortion of religion attempt to impose their views by using deception and violence.”

Regionally, internal conflict in Myanmar has forced more than 700,000 Rohingya to flee to Bangladesh, where thousands have fled overcrowded, violent camps to countries including Indonesia. Francis met with at least one Rohingya refugee upon arrival Tuesday at the Vatican’s residence in a show of support for refugees to be welcomed, not rejected.

Farther afield, Indonesia has long been a strong supporter of Palestinians and the government has regularly condemned Israel’s war in Gaza. Widodo thanked Francis for the Vatican's support of Palestinians since the start of the war.

“War will not benefit anyone, war will only bring suffering and misery to the common people,” Widodo said. “Therefore let us celebrate the differences that we have. Let us accept each other and strengthen tolerance to realize peace, to realize a better world for all humanity."

Francis arrived in Jakarta on Tuesday to kick off the longest, farthest and most difficult trip of his pontificate given his myriad health problems. At 87, he uses a wheelchair, has regular bouts of bronchitis and has had multiple surgeries for intestinal problems.

By the trip’s end on Sept. 13, Francis will have flown 32,814 kilometers (20,390 miles) to visit Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, East Timor and Singapore, one of the longest papal trips ever in terms of days on the road and distances traveled.

In Indonesia, Francis will be seeking to support the Catholic community, which only makes up 3% of the population of some 275 million, while seeking to encourage greater ties with the country that is home to the largest Muslim population.

The highlight of Francis’ first stop will be his participation Thursday in an interfaith meeting in Jakarta’s iconic Istiqlal mosque with representatives of the six religions that are officially recognized in Indonesia: Islam, Buddhism, Confucianism, Hinduism, Catholicism and Protestantism.

While Francis will want to highlight Indonesia’s tradition of religious tolerance, the country’s image as a moderate Muslim nation has been undermined by flare-ups of intolerance. In 2021, a militant Islamic couple blew themselves up outside a packed Catholic cathedral on Indonesia’s Sulawesi island during a Palm Sunday Mass, injuring at least 20 people.

As Francis arrived, Amnesty International said it hoped his visit would encourage an end to acts of intolerance and discrimination against minority groups and truly promote a respect for religious freedom that is enshrined in the country's constitution.

In a statement, Amnesty noted that from January 2021 to July 2024, there were at least 123 cases of intolerance, including rejection, closure or destruction of places of worship and physical attacks. The perpetrators allegedly came from various backgrounds, including government officials, residents and community organizations.

“The pope’s visit has an important role to play in encouraging Indonesia to end intolerance and discrimination against all minority groups. Freedom of religion is a right protected by the Indonesian Constitution,” said Usman Hamid, executive director of Amnesty International Indonesia.

In the afternoon, Francis meets with Indonesian clergy and nuns in Jakarta’s Our Lady of the Assumption Cathedral for his traditional pep talk to the local church. Indonesia is home to the world’s largest Catholic seminary and has long been a top source of priests and nuns for the Catholic Church, though their numbers today are not keeping pace with the growth in the overall Catholic population.

Asia, along with Africa, has long been seen as the future of the Catholic Church, both in terms of the number of baptized faithful and the number of men and women who decide to become priests or nuns. In Asia, the numbers are growing whereas longtime Catholic bastions such as Europe and the Americas have been seeing a long-term contraction both in the number of Catholics and those who enter religious life.

While Indonesia can by no means compete with India or the overwhelmingly Catholic Philippines in terms of the overall number of baptized Catholics or priests, the number of men studying to become priests is continuing to grow whereas the number of seminarians in Asia overall has started to level off or even decline in the last few years.

According to Vatican statistics as of Dec. 31, 2022, the last year for which data is available, there were 5,903 Catholic priests in Indonesia for a population of 8.29 million Catholics. While the number of seminarians studying for the priesthood in Asia has declined since 2017, including in the Philippines and India, Indonesia continued to add them, with 4,024 seminarians in 2022 compared to 3,777 in 2017.

Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.

Pope Francis, center left, meets Indonesia's Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi, foreground, as Indonesia's President Joko Widodo, center right, looks on during a ceremonial welcome at the Presidential Palace in Jakarta Wednesday, Sept. 4, 2024. (Bay Ismoyo/Pool Photo via AP)

Pope Francis, left, and Indonesian President Joko Widodo attend a meeting with Indonesian authorities, civil society and the diplomatic corps, during his apostolic visit to Asia, at the Presidential Palace in Jakarta Wednesday, Sept. 4, 2024. (Willy Kurniawan/Pool Photo via AP)

Pope Francis, left, and Indonesian President Joko Widodo attend a meeting with Indonesian authorities, civil society and the diplomatic corps, during his apostolic visit to Asia, at the Presidential Palace in Jakarta Wednesday, Sept. 4, 2024. (Willy Kurniawan/Pool Photo via AP)

Members of an honour guard march to positions ahead of the ceremonial welcome for Pope Francis at the Presidential Palace in Jakarta Wednesday, Sept. 4, 2024. (Bay Ismoyo/Pool Photo via AP)

Participants in traditional attire and uniformed personnel stand in formation ahead of the ceremonial welcome for Pope Francis at the Presidential Palace in Jakarta Wednesday, Sept. 4, 2024. (Bay Ismoyo/Pool Photo via AP)

Participants in traditional attire and uniformed personnel stand in formation ahead of the ceremonial welcome for Pope Francis at the Presidential Palace in Jakarta Wednesday, Sept. 4, 2024. (Bay Ismoyo/Pool Photo via AP)

Pope Francis, left, talks with Indonesian President Joko Widodo, right, at the Presidential Palace in Jakarta, Indonesia, Wednesday, Sept. 4, 2024. (AP Photo/Achmad Ibrahim, Pool)

Pope Francis, left, and Indonesian President Joko Widodo attend a welcome ceremony at the Istana Merdeka Presidential Palace in Jakarta Wednesday, Sept. 4, 2024. (Adi Weda/Pool Photo via AP)

Indonesian President Joko Widodo, right, receives Pope Francis, center, at Istana Merdeka Presidential Palace in Jakarta, Wednesday, Sept. 4, 2024. Pope Francis is opening his visit to Indonesia with a packed first day Wednesday, meeting political and religious leaders and setting a rigorous pace for an 11-day, four-nation trip through tropical Asia and Oceania that will test his stamina and health. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)

Pope Francis, top centre left, Indonesian President Joko Widodo, top centre right, and Indonesian President-elect Prabowo Subianto, top second right, review honor guards during a welcome ceremony at the Istana Merdeka Presidential Palace in Jakarta Wednesday, Sept. 4, 2024. (Adi Weda/Pool Photo via AP)

Indonesian President Joko Widodo, right, receives Pope Francis, helped on a wheelchair by assistant Piergiorgio Zanetti, at Istana Merdeka Presidential Palace in Jakarta, Wednesday, Sept. 4, 2024. Pope Francis is opening his visit to Indonesia with a packed first day Wednesday, meeting political and religious leaders and setting a rigorous pace for an 11-day, four-nation trip through tropical Asia and Oceania that will test his stamina and health. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)

Pope Francis, left, is greeted by an Indonesian official upon his arrival at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Tangerang, Indonesia, Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Achmad Ibrahim)

Muslim men attend Friday prayer at Istiqlal Mosque in Jakarta, Indonesia, Friday, Aug. 9, 2024, where Pope Francis is scheduled to hold an interfaith meeting on Sept. 5. (AP Photo/Tatan Syuflana)

A man walks in the shade at Istiqlal Mosque as the spires of the Our Lady of The Assumption Cathedral are seen in the background, in Jakarta, Indonesia, Friday, Aug. 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Tatan Syuflana)

Police on motorcycles patrol on the street in Jakarta, Indonesia, Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Tatan Syuflana)

Indonesian police officers stand guard on the street in Jakarta, Indonesia, Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Tatan Syuflana)

People hold Indonesian and Vatican flags as they welcome the arrival of Pope Francis outside the Vatican Embassy in Jakarta, Indonesia, Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Dita Alangkara)

Pope Francis is welcomed by Indonesia's Minister for Religious Affairs Yaqut Cholil Qoumas, center, soon after landing at Jakarta's International airport Soekarno Hatta, Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2024. Pope Francis arrived in Indonesia on Tuesday at the start of the longest trip of his pontificate, hoping to encourage its Catholic community and celebrate the tradition of interfaith harmony in a country with the world's largest Muslim population. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)

Pope Francis leaves in a car soon after landing at Jakarta's International airport Soekarno Hatta, Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2024. Pope Francis arrived in Indonesia on Tuesday at the start of the longest trip of his pontificate, hoping to encourage its Catholic community and celebrate the tradition of interfaith harmony in a country with the world's largest Muslim population. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)

Pope Francis on his wheelchair, holds his cap upon arrival during an official welcoming ceremony at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Tangerang on the outskirts of Jakarta, Indonesia, Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Achmad Ibrahim)

Pope Francis on his wheelchair, is welcomed as Indonesian Minister of Religious Affairs Yaqut Cholil Qoumas, center left, walks during an official welcoming ceremony at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Tangerang on the outskirts of Jakarta, Indonesia, Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Achmad Ibrahim)

Pope Francis is welcomed by Indonesia's Minister for Religious Affairs Yaqut Cholil Qoumas, center, soon after landing at Jakarta's International airport Soekarno Hatta, Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2024. Pope Francis arrived in Indonesia on Tuesday at the start of the longest trip of his pontificate, hoping to encourage its Catholic community and celebrate the tradition of interfaith harmony in a country with the world's largest Muslim population. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)

People walk past a welcoming signboard for Pope Francis displayed at Jakarta Cathedral in Jakarta, Indonesia, Sunday, Sept. 1, 2024, ahead of his visit to Indonesia from Sept. 3-6. (AP Photo/Dita Alangkara)

A man has his photo taken with a cutout of Pope Francis displayed at Jakarta Cathedral ahead of his visit to Indonesia from Sept. 3-6, in Jakarta, Indonesia, Sunday, Sept. 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Dita Alangkara)

Muslim women chat as a large digital advertisement board with a welcoming message for Pope Francis is displayed on the facade of a building nearby in Jakarta, Sunday, Sept. 1, 2024, ahead of his visit to Indonesia from Sept. 3-6. (AP Photo/Dita Alangkara)

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Justin Verlander picked up his first win since returning from a neck injury and Yordan Alvarez hit a go-ahead home run in the fifth inning as the Houston Astros defeated the Los Angeles Angels 5-3 on Saturday night.

Kyle Tucker added a pinch-hit homer, Jose Altuve had two hits and two runs scored, and the Astros won their third straight to remain 4 1/2 games ahead of second-place Seattle in the AL West.

Tucker's home run was his first in seven games since returning from a shin fracture. He has yet to play the outfield in consecutive games since coming back Sept. 6.

“To have a guy like that on the bench, you'd rather have him on the field, but when you have him on the bench, you can't wait to throw him out there,” Astros manager Joe Espada said.

Verlander (4-6) gave up two runs and four hits over five innings after he was 0-4 with a 9.69 ERA in four starts since returning Aug. 21 following a 2 1/2-month absence due to neck stiffness. He had two walks and two strikeouts while earning his first win since May 24 against Oakland.

Ryan Pressly pitched 1 2/3 scoreless innings for his fourth save.

Despite the win, the 41-year-old Verlander is still looking for more from his outings as October approaches.

“It's start to start at this point, trying to play catchup,” the three-time Cy Young Award winner said. “Unfortunately, before I got hurt, I got on a little bit of a good run there, kind of found my mechanics and then the neck injury, and I kind of lost it. Obviously, I lost a lot of time. I'm trying as quickly as I can to get back to that version where I'm tougher to hit than I am right now.”

Los Angeles starter Tyler Anderson (10-13) gave up four runs and seven hits over five innings. Eric Wagaman delivered the first hit and RBI of his career in his fifth game for the Angels on a double in the fourth.

“That's awesome; now he can relax a little bit,” manager Ron Washington said.

Wagaman began his major league career 0 for 9 with two strikeouts.

Altuve got the Astros going by leading off the game with a bunt single and stealing second base. He went to third on a groundout and scored on Anderson's wild pitch.

Verlander walked his first two batters before Nolan Schanuel gave the Angels their first run on an RBI single.

Houston's defense picked up Verlander from there, starting with a diving catch in center field from Jake Meyers. That began a run in which Verlander retired nine of the next 10 Angels batters.

Astros right fielder Ben Gamel slammed into the short wall in right field in the fourth to take away a potential RBI from Mickey Moniak, although Wagaman followed with his RBI double for a 2-1 Angels lead.

“There's been some starts now when the ball hasn't gone my way, so it was nice to have some of those (defensive plays)," Verlander said. “It felt great.”

Verlander is lined up for at least two more starts before the regular season ends and the Astros put together potential roles for the postseason.

“We'll evaluate this one over the next few days and just continually try to add brick by brick in the right direction,” Verlander said. “Continue to try to improve.”

The Astros moved in front in the fifth when Alvarez followed a leadoff single from Altuve with a home run to right field, his 34th. With two outs, Jeremy Peña singled, stole second and scored on Victor Caratini's single.

The Angels nearly tied it in the eighth but Schanuel was thrown out at home plate by Meyers while trying to score from second base on Logan O’Hoppe’s RBI single that cut Los Angeles' deficit to 4-3.

Tucker connected for his 20th homer in the ninth, his first since June 1 before a long injury layoff.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Astros: Meyers appeared to injure his left leg while tracking down a flyball on the warning track from Wagaman in the ninth, but remained in the game after a visit from the athletic training staff. ... OF Chas McCormick is optimistic he can return from a broken right hand before the regular season ends Sept. 29.

Angels: RHP Carson Fulmer (elbow inflammation) is optimistic he can return to a bullpen role by Tuesday after spending the past two weeks on the injured list. ... Angels infielders Michael Stefanic (calf) and Brandon Drury (hamstring) were out of the lineup.

UP NEXT

Astros: RHP Ronel Blanco (10-6, 2.99 ERA) has not given up more than two earned runs in any of his last three road starts.

Angels: RHP Caden Dana (1-1, 9.00) lasted just one inning in his second career start last Sunday against the Rangers.

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

Houston Astros designated hitter Yordan Alvarez celebrates in the dugout after hitting a home run during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Angels in Anaheim, Calif., Saturday, Sept. 14, 2024. Jose Altuve also scored. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Houston Astros designated hitter Yordan Alvarez runs the bases after hitting a home run during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Angels in Anaheim, Calif., Saturday, Sept. 14, 2024. Jose Altuve also scored. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Los Angeles Angels' Taylor Ward (3) celebrates in the dugout after scoring off of a single hit by Nolan Schanuel during the first inning of a baseball game against the Houston Astros in Anaheim, Calif., Saturday, Sept. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Houston Astros' Jose Altuve (27) scores off of a wild pitch from Los Angeles Angels starting pitcher Tyler Anderson during the first inning of a baseball game in Anaheim, Calif., Saturday, Sept. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Houston Astros' Jose Altuve singles on a bunt during the first inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Angels in Anaheim, Calif., Saturday, Sept. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Los Angeles Angels starting pitcher Tyler Anderson throws during the second inning of a baseball game against the Houston Astros in Anaheim, Calif., Saturday, Sept. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Houston Astros designated hitter Yordan Alvarez runs the bases after hitting a home run during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Angels in Anaheim, Calif., Saturday, Sept. 14, 2024. Jose Altuve also scored. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Houston Astros starting pitcher Justin Verlander throws during the first inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Angels in Anaheim, Calif., Saturday, Sept. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)