Menchik Offers Insight on Pope Francis’ Southeast Asia Visit
Jeremy Menchik, Associate Professor of International Relations and Political Science at the Frederick S. Pardee School of Global Studies and Director of the Institute on Culture, Religion and World Affairs (CURA), was quoted in a Reuters article about Pope Francis’ upcoming visit to Southeast Asia.
The article, titled “Pope Francis, 87, takes climate message to Southeast Asia on 12-day trip,” discusses the pontiff’s planned journey to four island nations across Southeast Asia. The trip, scheduled from September 2-13, 2024, will cover Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, East Timor, and Singapore. Pope Francis aims to urge global action on climate change and promote interfaith dialogue during this ambitious 12-day visit.
In Indonesia, the world’s most populous Muslim-majority nation, Francis will participate in an interfaith meeting at Jakarta’s Istiqlal Mosque, the largest in Southeast Asia. Commenting on the interfaith aspect of the Pope’s visit, Menchik noted that Indonesia is in a “golden age” of interfaith dialogue. He pointed out that the mosque sits opposite Jakarta’s Catholic cathedral, stating, “This is a moment where you have pluralism rather than polemics.”
The full article can be read on Reuters’ website: https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/pope-francis-87-takes-climate-message-southeast-asia-12-day-trip-2024-08-29/
Jeremy Menchik is Associate Professor of International Relations and Political Science at the Frederick S. Pardee School of Global Studies, and Director of the Institute on Culture, Religion and World Affairs (CURA). He holds a BA from the University of Michigan and an MA and PhD from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. His expertise in Indonesian politics and religion provides valuable context for understanding the significance of Pope Francis’ visit to the region, particularly in terms of interfaith dialogue and religious pluralism in Indonesia.
Read more about Professor Menchik on his faculty profile.