Seven terror suspects have been arrested in Indonesia for planning to kill or injure Pope Francis.
Seven individuals suspected of terrorism have been arrested in Indonesia on suspicion of planning an attack. The Italian press reported that they were planning a terrorist attack against the Catholic pontiff during his 45th apostolic visit.
“They wanted to kill or injure Pope Francis,” reported the Densus-88 Indonesian counter-terrorism unit, which detained seven people on the grounds of preparing a terrorist attack against the Holy Father. The Indonesian police also informed that on Monday and Tuesday they conducted searches in the city of Bogor, 50 kilometers from Jakarta, and in the Bekasi area, where they found several terrorist suspects.
During the investigation, a drone, arrows, and leaflets containing Islamic propaganda were found in the home of one of the individuals.
The investigation is ongoing, and authorities have not yet determined whether a coordinated attack was being prepared, meaning if the suspects knew each other or had any connection, although it is difficult to imagine they were preparing for independent actions.
All seven arrested individuals have been found to have posted threatening messages of a dynamite attack on social media during Pope Francis’ first official speech on Wednesday morning in Jakarta, addressed to political leaders, diplomatic representatives, and civil society representatives at the presidential palace.
According to Aswin Siregar, a spokesperson for the anti-terrorist group, one of the arrested individuals announced on YouTube that he would carry out a terrorist attack against the pope and encouraged others to follow the events. He was detained in the central province of Bangka, while the other six individuals in Jakarta and other areas of the country.
On Thursday, the Pope visited the Istiqlal Mosque in Jakarta. During the interfaith meeting, he was greeted by Imam Nasaruddin Umar, and they visited together the Friendship tunnel that connects the mosque to the Catholic Cathedral of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The Imam welcomed the Holy Father, and they read and signed the Istiqlal 2024 joint statement on the shared principles and values of Islam and Christianity.
The meeting at Istiqlal Mosque was attended by representatives of Protestantism, Islam, Buddhism, Confucianism, and Hinduism, the officially recognized religions in Indonesia.
The statement addresses the global phenomenon of dehumanization, widespread violence, and conflicts with alarming numbers of victims. It emphasizes the exploitation of religion, causing much suffering, especially to women, children, and the elderly. The statement states that the role of religion should include promoting and protecting the dignity of every human life.
