PRESS RELEASE

Pope Francis delivers a Message of Peace to the whole world during the Scholas Occurrentes event

During the emotional encounter with Pope Francis, the youth of Scholas Indonesia had the opportunity to interact with the Holy Father and share with him the pains they experience in their daily lives. His Holiness explained that war is a defeat for everyone.

Jakarta, September 4 – In an emotional encounter during his visit to Indonesia, Pope Francis met with young people from the Scholas community to discuss current challenges and the importance of peace. This event, filled with deep questions and reflections, highlighted the young people's concerns about the disconnect between ideas and realities, as well as the increase in conflicts worldwide.

Anna Nurawalia, a Muslim volunteer with Scholas who was the host, tearfully expressed at the start of the ceremony: “Today is not just an experience, but an extraordinary transformation for me. For the first time in my life, I visited, entered, and became part of a cathedral, a church sanctified by Catholics, miraculously, right in front of me stood the mosque where I usually worship. What gave me the courage and determination to come to this place is my family and Scholas,” shared Anna, a Muslim volunteer with Scholas. She then added, “After 2 years of being involved with Scholas, both in Italy and Liberia, Africa, Scholas and I have been deeply connected through Zoom, chat, phone, and social media. At Scholas, I act as a student, volunteer, teacher, mother, team member, sometimes as a child and a good friend. With all the roles I take on or that are entrusted to me, Scholas is a home for me that always welcomes me.”

Then, Bryan, a young participant in the first educational experience of Scholas in Indonesia, shared his testimony and explained: “In Indonesia, we are used to living by our motto 'Bhinneka Tunggal Ika,' which means that even though we are different, we are still one. Or simply, unity in diversity. But, during our experience with Scholas, we realized that something was missing in that motto. Something wasn’t quite real. Because, in reality, we still face many problems due to our differences. For example, discrimination, cyberbullying, and the need to 'please people' that makes us pretend about how we really feel. With Scholas, we learned directly; we were taught without any gaps, which made us feel comfortable communicating with each other.”

Christine, another young participant of the Scholas Occurrentes x Tunas Bineka event, shared: “We all have different problems, some related to discrimination or differences in race and religion. I experienced it firsthand; I was cornered and rejected for no reason. At that moment, I felt very down and didn’t even know what to do because I felt like the world was not on my side. In this experience, we learned that these differences are not bad, but rather a unique beauty. We learned to unite our differences, to build bonds of unity, and to understand that differences are not a path to destruction, but rather a step towards unity.” To conclude, she asked the Pope about teaching peace in times of growing conflict.

Pope Francis, in his response, emphasized that war is a defeat for everyone. He explained that life should be lived through differences; if everything were the same, life would be boring. He then stated that in differences, there can be war or dialogue, and he urged that we must always choose the path of dialogue.

During the closing, Pope Francis planted a mangrove tree, which represents not only a symbol of the fight against climate change but also a gesture of peace and unity, similar to the olive tree that the Pope has planted at other Scholas events around the world. The mangrove is crucial for protecting Indonesian coasts and biodiversity, and its planting is a clear message about the need to care for our planet.

The Holy Father Entered the Polyhedron That Symbolizes the Heart of Indonesia

The polyhedron sculpture symbolizes the heart of the country, as it represents Indonesia's diversity and is built with natural and recyclable materials, as well as fabrics that reflect the country’s cultural richness. Inside the structure, a sanctuary holds personal items, photos, writings, drawings, and toys left by all the people who participated in the project.

The "Hati Indonesia" polyhedron is not just a work of art but also a symbol of hope, unity, and the ability to build a future together, beyond differences. Inside the polyhedron, the Pope left his dreams: a more fraternal world.

Before entering the polyhedron, the Holy Father was greeted by two inmates who participated in the project from prison. They presented him with two sculptures specially created for him, representing a touching gesture of inclusion and hope.