REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- Pope Francis, the leader of the world's 1.2 billion Catholics, will visit Indonesia in 2017 to attend the Asian Youth Day to be hosted by the Arch Diocese of Semarang, Central Java.

"Pope Francis is planning to visit Indonesia in July 2017, his visit coinciding with the Asian Youth Day to be hosted by Indonesia," Indonesian ambassador to Vatican Antonius Agus Sriyono said here on Tuesday when visiting the office of the minister of sports and youth affairs.

Agus, the former deputy at the office of the Coordinating Minister for Political, Security and Legal Affairs who has recently been named ambassador to the Vatican, said that the Asian Youth Day would be attended by Catholic youth from across Asia.

The event, which is held every three years, will serve as a forum for learning as well as sharing faith experiences for the youth, he said.

He said the event will be the seventh so far and will be preceded by the Asian Youth Games scheduled to be held in Yogyakarta, Central Java, and Indonesian Youth Day 2016 in Manado, North Sulawesi, to be celebrated from October 1 to 6, 2016.

A number of festivals and sports performances will also be held during the events.

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