Spanish expatriate reflects on gift of pope’s visit to predominantly Muslim Indonesia

Madrid, Spain, Sep 6, 2024 / 15:15 pm

Socorro Vázquez, a 27-year-old Catholic from Seville, Spain, shared with ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner, about her experience of Pope Francis’ visit to Indonesia and her experience of faith in Jakarta, where she has come because of her work for a year and where the values ​​of Islam “are in the air with every step you take.”

The young Spanish woman, who has always been “very excited” to live abroad, was assigned Jakarta as her destination after applying for the Spanish Institute of Foreign Trade Scholarship Program.

For Vázquez, who will return to Spain in December, the visit of the Holy Father this past week “has been a real gift and totally unexpected at the time when I had to choose a destination.”

In Jakarta, the young woman said, “the practices and values ​​of Islam are felt at every step you take. This makes the culture shock for a Spaniard more pronounced and, at times, the context reminds you that you are far from home and your loved ones.”

Although she grew up in a Catholic environment, she said, that “living abroad has made me question my beliefs and, curiously, has also made me reaffirm them.”

Being Catholic in the world’s largest Muslim country

Living in the world’s largest Muslim country, Vázquez pointed out, means “being Catholic these days, wherever you are, is not easy. And what I mean by this is that, on many occasions, it means swimming against the current.”

In the case of Indonesia, where nearly 200 million Muslims live, she remarked that “the tolerance between religions is admirable, the sense of community that surrounds all practices of faith, regardless of religion, and the naturalness with which they affirm they are believers.”

In fact, she said that “not believing in a God here is inappropriate. It is a highly spiritual country and that is evident in the people and their values.”

Although Jakarta is “dotted with mosques,” she said, she is grateful that there is a Catholic church near her office and another one very close to where she lives.

“Both have Mass in English on Sundays and they are always full. In that sense, the truth is that I’ve had it very easy,” she commented.

A visit ‘very much appreciated’ by Catholics

The young Spanish woman had the opportunity to go to the heavily attended closing Mass that Pope Francis celebrated at the Gelora Bung Karno stadium on Sept. 5.

“I was very moved to see an entire stadium with 100,000 people singing and vibrating with joy. People came from many parts of the country with their traditional attire. It was the mixture of the diversity of peoples that characterizes Indonesia, united by the same faith,” she related.

She explained that in a country like Indonesia, “being present in person is very important, both in the business field and in any other context.”

“I think that, in this sense, the pope’s visit will be highly appreciated by Catholics in the country and has shown that, despite being a minority, they have filled an entire stadium and had waiting lists,” she emphasized.

Vázquez also pointed out that Indonesian Catholics “tend to relate to the parish community to which they belong and with the visit of Pope Francis, a much greater sense of community has been created.”

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.