Pope Francis arrives in Indonesia for historic Asia Pacific trip

Pope Francis lands in the Indonesian capital Jakarta, kicking off a historic trip to the Asia Pacific region, the BBC writes.

He will also travel to Papua New Guinea, Timor-Leste and Singapore as part of his visit, which is expected to focus on inter-religious harmony

The 12-day trip will mark the longest time the pontiff has spent away from the Vatican

The marathon trip comes despite the fact that the 87-year-old has been battling health problems and using a wheelchair in recent months

Asia Pacific is one of only a few places in the world where the Catholic Church is growing in terms of baptized faithful and religious vocations.