Pope Francis arrived in Indonesia on Tuesday at the start of a tour of Asia.

After an overnight flight from Rome, the Pope was wheeled off the plane in his wheelchair in Jakarta.

Indonesia is the first stop on a grueling tour for the 87-year-old that will also take him to Papua New Guinea, East Timor and Singapore.

The Pope hopes to promote interfaith harmony between Catholics and Muslims in the country.

There have been growing concerns about the Pope’s health since Easter, when he opted to skip reading a homily at the last minute at a Palm Sunday Mass held in St. Peter’s Square.

The Pope was greeted at the airport in Jakarta by two children wearing traditional clothes who handed him a bouquet of vegetables, fruits, spices and flowers.

Francis will then meet with a group of refugees, migrants and sick people at the Vatican residence in Jakarta later on Tuesday.

On Wednesday we will visit the country’s political leaders and hold meetings with Indonesian clergy who are helping to fuel the growth of the Catholic Church in Asia.

Indonesian President Joko Widodo welcomed the pope, saying in a broadcast statement that “Indonesia and the Vatican have the same commitment to fostering peace and brotherhood, as well as ensuring the welfare of humanity.”

On Thursday the Pope will participate in an interfaith meeting in Jakarta’s Istiqlal mosque with representatives of the six religions that are officially recognized in Indonesia: Islam, Buddhism, Confucianism, Hinduism, Catholicism and Protestantism.

The mosque is the largest in Southeast Asia, and sits opposite the capital’s main Catholic cathedral, Our Lady of Assumption, close enough that the Muslim call to prayer can be heard during Mass.

The buildings are linked by an underground “Tunnel of Friendship” which Francis will visit with the grand imam, Nasaruddin Umar, before they sign a joint declaration.

Thousands are expected to attend Francis’ events this week, which include a Mass on Thursday afternoon at Jakarta’s main stadium expected to draw some 60,000 people.

“It is a joy for our country, especially for us Catholics,” said Elisabeth Damanik, a 50-year-old housewife outside a packed Mass on Sunday at Our Lady of the Assumption.

“Hopefully the pope’s visit can build religious tolerance in our beloved country of Indonesia.”

There are also hopes that Francis, known for his environmental advocacy, will speak out about the air pollution issue in Jakarta, caused by coal-fired power plants, vehicle exhaust, trash burning and factories.

Jakarta’s air pollution regularly registers eight to nine times above World Health Organization limits.

“The pollution in Jakarta is at an alarming level. That’s why the presence of the Pope can provide a benefit with the discussion of environmental issues,” said government worker Erik Sebastian Naibaho, 26.

Pope Francis didn’t attend a number of events at Easter this year, including the Good Friday Way of the Cross procession in Rome.

He skipped out on the ceremony to “conserve his health,” according to the Vatican, in an announcement made in a Telegram post just five minutes before the procession.

At the start of March, the pontiff required an aide to read two speeches he was supposed to give as he was suffering from bronchitis.

Before that, on Feb. 24, he canceled some of his engagements because of what the Vatican described as a mild flu that had later seen him taken to hospital for tests.

However, the Catholic leader has dismissed the notion of resigning the papacy like his predecessor, Pope Benedict XVI, who became the first to do so in nearly 600 years aged 85.

This article includes reporting from The Associated Press