By Mohd Iswandi Kasan Anuar
JAKARTA, Aug 14 (Bernama) -- Indonesian police are set to deploy 4,520 officers to ensure the security of Pope Francis’ visit to the country from September 3 to 6.
The Pope, the spiritual leader of the Roman Catholic Church and head of state of Vatican City, will be under extensive security during his trip.
The operation, which will run from Sept 2 to Sept 7, will see the involvement of 1,077 officers from the National Police Headquarters and 3,443 from the Jakarta Police.
In a statement on Tuesday, head of public information, Brigadier General Trunoyudo Wisnu Andiko, said: “We will secure every aspect of the visit, including pre-event, during, and post-event activities.”
Pope Francis is expected to arrive in Jakarta on the afternoon of Sept 3 and will meet with President Joko Widodo at the Merdeka Palace the following day.
On Sept 5, he will take part in an interfaith meeting at Istiqlal Mosque, the largest mosque in Southeast Asia, and later meet beneficiaries of charitable organisations at the Indonesian Bishops’ Conference office.
Later that evening, the Pope will celebrate a grand Mass at Gelora Bung Karno Stadium, which is expected to attract tens of thousands of Catholics.
Police will also oversee security for the International Sustainability Forum, taking place from Sept 4 to Sept 6.
-- BERNAMA
