Heart of Indonesia polyhedron a 'sign of unity in diversity'
By Mark Saludes, LiCAS News
Scholas Occurrentes held a press briefing in Jakarta on Monday to illustrate Pope Francis' visit on September 4, when he will participate in a collective artwork by adding the final piece to the polyhedron project called ‘Hati Indonesia’ or Heart of Indonesia.
At the media briefing, the Pontifical Foundation unveiled the polyhedron project, which the group said symbolizes the “richness of Indonesia’s cultural and religious diversity.”
Marchellu Rafi, the architect in charge of ‘Hati Indonesia,’ said the polyhedron has many triangles that are “unique” and “different” from each other.
“And it was made by more than 1,500 people. Involving different communities from different backgrounds, socio-economical, and religions,” he said.
Rafi further explained that the polyhedron is heart-shaped because it represents different “races, religions, and backgrounds” that are united and connected “to form a single” entity.
“If seen from the outside, the shape is more colorful. It symbolizes our diversity, which is full of colors. But if we can see more deeply, it will be more white. And the picture is more represented in words… Humans are represented by words of heart,” he said.
On September 4, Pope Francis will meet the young people of Scholas Occurrentes and he will enter the heart-shaped polyhedron.
“He will also give a letter, two words, to be united with the words of various young people who write there too. So the position will be equal. And that will be a blessing for us,” said Rafi.
Pablo Palmeyro, project manager of 'Hati Indonesia', added that the exterior of the polyhedron is made up of 187 pieces of unique artwork that include recycled materials, natural elements, and fabrics.
“It was really challenging because, at the same time that the team of architects was building the structure, the rest of the team was bringing the triangle pieces to different communities [across Indonesia],” said Palmeyro.
, an international non-profit organization founded by Pope Francis in 2013, operates in over 190 countries to educate youth in the "Culture of Encounter" through arts, sports, and technology.
The organization empowers young people to identify key issues in their communities and develop innovative solutions.
Jose Maria del Corral, global president of Scholas, said the organization was “born 30 years ago with Jorge Bergoglio before he became the Pope.”
“We were born in the middle of a crisis, as Pope Francis always said. In our country, there were many, political and economic problems. Everyone (is) against everyone,” he said.
“In a wealthy country, people were starving and they were looking for food everywhere. Father Jorge Bergoglio identifies that the crisis in the country is an educational problem,” Del Corral added.
Del Corral said that on December 19, 2013, Pope Francis told him that the “educational problem” is not just a concern in Argentina but “a global problem.”
“If we do not change education, the world will not change,” Del Corral told reporters in Jakarta.
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