The Eucharistic celebration took place on the afternoon of September 5, 2024 at the Bung Karno Stadium. The mass was attended by more than 80,000 Catholics from various regions in Indonesia.
Preparation before mass Parishioners had begun registering through their dioceses and parishes starting in July 2024. Parishioners then received wristbands with QR codes that would be scanned upon entering the Gelora Bung Karno Main Stadium and Madya Stadium complexes. Parishioners who attended from various regions came using buses prepared by their respective parishes and groups. There are nine parking pockets prepared by the
Indonesian National Police. The monks and nuns of the
Carmelitae Sancti Eliae Congregation living in
Cikanyere prepared for the presence of the Pope through 24 hours of non-stop prayer during 3-6 September 2024. On 29 June 2024, the
Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, the Indonesian Bishops' Conference launched a prayer for the Holy Father's apostolic visit. The prayer was released in Bahasa Indonesia and English.
Pre-mass activities at
Gelora Bung Karno Stadium and his departure to
Papua New GuineaBefore the
mass, a number of activities were held. The pre-mass activities were guided by two priests, R.D. Yustinus Ardianto and R.D. Andreas Subekti, and one sister, Sr. Hetwika Maweikere, S.J.M.J. At the beginning of the activities, the national anthem
Indonesia Raya was sung by all the attendees. A number of welcome videos were played, including from the Chairman of the Committee
Ignasius Jonan, the Chairman of the
Bishops' Conference of Indonesia (KWI),
Antonius Subianto Bunjamin, O.S.C., the Apostolic Nuncio to Indonesia, Piero Pioppo, and the
Archbishop of Jakarta, Cardinal
Ignatius Suharyo Hardjoatmodjo. Remarks were also delivered by Indonesian President
Joko Widodo. Several songs were also performed by various groups. Twelve students sang national songs, including
Tanah Airku,
Indonesia Pusaka,
Satu Nusa Satu Bangsa, and
Rayuan Pulau Kelapa. Singers
Angel Pieters and Louis Bertrand sang
Goodness of God, while
Lyodra Ginting and R.P. Aloysius Tamnge, M.S.C. performed
Make Me a Channel of Your Peace. This song refers to the
Prayer of Saintt Francis which is associated with
Francis of Assisi. A talk on the visit of Pope Francis was given by three bishops,
Kornelius Sipayung,
O.F.M. Cap. (
Archbishop of Medan),
Cyprianus Hormat (
Bishop of Ruteng), and
Petrus Canisius Mandagi,
M.S.C. (
Archbishop of Merauke). Devotional activities such as Prayer with
Taizé chants and Prayer of the
Rosary were also conducted. The Taizé prayer was interspersed with some quotes of Pope Francis delivered to the public on several occasions, while the Prayer of the Rosary used the Events of Light. During the pre-mass activities, a drizzle of rain fell around the Gelora Bung Karno complex, although it later subsided. Indonesian President Joko Widodo met with Pope Francis shortly before Pope Francis met the congregation. Joko Widodo was accompanied by a number of officials, including Coordinating Minister
Luhut Binsar Panjaitan, National Police Chief
Listyo Sigit Prabowo, and TNI Commander
Agus Subiyanto. Pope Francis then travelled around to meet the congregation at the
Madya Stadium, before later greeting the congregation at the
Gelora Bung Karno Main Stadium. While travelling around, Pope Francis used a
Maung car made by
Pindad, which was named Maung MV3
Popemobile. While the Pope was travelling around, the congregation chanted
Viva Il Papa and
Viva Papa Francesco, as well as the song
Kristus Jaya (Victorious of Christ) and the song
Ave-Ave (Di Lourdes di Gua) (Ave-Ave (In The Cave of Lourdes)). Before the mass, the congregation prepared themselves through a
silentium which created silence at the mass location.
Conduct of the mass On 5 September, the Church celebrates
Saint Teresa of Calcutta, so this Eucharistic Celebration is celebrated within the framework of the commemoration of Saint Teresa of Calcutta. The Eucharistic celebration begins as the liturgical officers and the bishop march towards the altar from the
sacristy. Pope Francis uses a
pluviale (corkscrew) in this Eucharistic Celebration. Both the
pluviale, the
chasuble, and the liturgical dress used by the clergy show the ornamentation of the Cross of the Archipelago. This cross represents the archipelago by combining various regional motifs, including
Dayak (Kalimantan),
Sumba (East Nusa Tenggara),
Asmat (Papua), and
Batak (North Sumatra), with the addition of
Balinese and
Javanese ornaments. The procession was accompanied by a number of Indonesian songs, such as
Dengan Gembira (How Joyful),
Kau Dipanggil Tuhan (Thou Called by God), even
Bergemarlah dan Bersukaria (Rejoice and Gladful). The procession was carried out by about 60 bishops who were present, as well as a number of priests and liturgical officers. Arriving in front of the
altar, Cardinal Suharyo dedicated the altar and the statue of
Maria Mother of All Tribes located near the altar. Pope Francis opened the mass with the sign of the cross and a greeting said in
Latin. The Pope uttered the words
‘Saya mengaku’ ('I confess' in
Bahasa Indonesia) which began the declaration of
penance. The Lord Have Mercy on Us (
Kyrie) and Glory (
Gloria) were performed in Bahasa Indonesia, followed by the Opening Prayer said by the Pope in Latin. The First Reading was taken from the Apostle Paul's
First Letter to the Corinthians, Chapter 3. The reading was performed by a blind man, Bernadus Dustin, who read using
braille. The
Psalm that followed was
Psalm 24 performed by Athanasia Paramita Ika Rosarie. The Gospel reading was taken from the
Gospel of Luke, Chapter 15 which tells the story of
Simon Peter returning to the sea, after being instructed by Jesus to ‘go to the deep’, even though they had not caught any fish when they worked all night. All three readings were read in Indonesian. The
homily was delivered by Pope Francis in
Italian. The Universal Prayer was organised by a group of six people, in the six regional languages of Indonesia, namely
Javanese,
Toraja,
Manggarai,
Batak Toba,
Dayak Kanayatn, and
Marind. The Eucharistic Liturgy begins with the preparation of the offering, during which the offering materials are brought before Pope Francis. The Preparation of the Offering is accompanied by a number of songs, including ''T'rimalah ya Bapa
(Accept it, God) and Di Pulau Samadi
(In Samadi Island) that originated from the Indonesian catholic book, the Madah Bakti, and also the song Kami Unjukkan, Kami Sembahkan'' (We Show, We Present) which was sung at a Mass presided over by
Pope John Paul II at the same location in 1989. The Eucharistic Liturgy was presided over by Cardinal Suharyo who delivered the prefaces and the Eucharistic Prayer III in Latin, while the Lord's Prayer and the acclamations leading up to the reception of communion were chanted in Bahasa Indonesia. At the altar, Cardinal Suharyo was accompanied by KWI Chairman, Antonius Subianto Bunjamin, O.S.C. (Bishop of Bandung) and KWI First Vice Chairman,
Adrianus Sunarko,
O.F.M. (
Bishop of Pangkalpinang). At the time of the consecration, Pope Francis stood on his chair while extending his right hand. The congregation then received communion, accompanied by a number of songs including
Aku Rindu Akan Tuhan (I Long for the Lord),
Tuhan Bentengku (Lord My Fortress),
Sungguhlah Indah Rumah-Mu (How Beautiful is Thou House), and
Dikau Tuhan dan Kawanku (Praise to You, Lord). The day before, a concelebrated Mass was held at the Gelora Bung Karno Main Stadium and at the Madya Stadium to consecrate the host that was given to the people at this mass. At the end of the mass, Cardinal Suharyo gave a speech and Pope Francis then gave a short speech. The Pope emphasised the words ‘
fate chiasso’ which can be interpreted contextually as an invitation to proclaim the Gospel with zeal and courage. Pope Francis then gave his blessing at the end of the Mass in Latin. He then prayed in front of the statue of Mary, Mother of All Tribes, as the congregation sang the
Marian Antiphon,
Salve Regina. Previously, the congregation had also been encouraged to sing Salve Regina at the end of the Eucharistic celebrations ahead of the Pope's presence. The choir, led by conductor R.P.
Constantius Eko Wahyu Djoko Santoso,
O.S.C. with organist R.P. Harry Singkoh, M.S.C., performed a number of closing songs such as
Jadilah Saksi Kristus (Be Witnesses of Christ) and
Nafas Iman (Breath of Faith) that accompanied the procession out.
After mass activities Singer Lyodra Ginting returned to perform a song,
The Prayer, in collaboration with Prihartono ‘Anton’ Mirzaputra who is the vocalist of
Jamaica Cafe. Lyodra again collaborated with a number of priests to perform the song
Doa Kami which was popularised by
JPCC Worship and created by
Sari Simorangkir. A number of nuns performed the song
I Will Follow Him. The congregation then began to leave the Gelora Bung Karno Complex after Pope Francis left the location. == Departure to Papua New Guinea ==