Pope Francis and the grand imam of Southeast Asia’s largest mosque vowed to unite against religiously motivated violence and called for “decisive” climate action in a joint statement Thursday at a Francis’ visit to Indonesia.
In a religiously symbolic gesture, the interfaith agreement was signed in the Indonesian capital Jakarta, at the Istiqlal Mosque, which was designed by a Christian architect.
The statement signed by Francis and Grand Imam Nasaruddin Umar said it was “particularly worrying” that religion was being used to justify violence and cause suffering, especially among women, children and the elderly. It urged that “interfaith dialogue be recognized as an effective tool for resolving local, regional and international conflicts.”
It also called for action on the “ongoing environmental crisis,” which the report said “has become an obstacle to the harmonious coexistence of peoples.”
The interfaith meeting, a highlight of Francis’ 12-day trip to Asia and Oceania, was attended by representatives of Indonesia’s six officially recognized religions: Islam, Buddhism, Confucianism, Hinduism, Catholicism and Protestantism.
Before signing the declaration, the two religious leaders visited the “Tunnel of Friendship,” a 27-meter-long tunnel that connects the mosque complex to Jakarta’s main Catholic cathedral, Our Lady of the Assumption.
The tunnel is seen as a sign of tolerance in Indonesia, the world’s largest Muslim-majority country. Freedom of religion is constitutionally protected here, but there have been deadly incidents of violence against Christians and other religious minorities.
“We who belong to different religious traditions have a role to play in helping everyone to pass through the tunnels of life with our eyes turned to the light,” Francis said.
He warned those present that religion can be misused to justify wars when it should be about “promoting and protecting the dignity of every human life.”
Umar, the Grand Imam, said the mosque regularly hosts interfaith activities and is “not only a house of worship for Muslims but also a great home for humanity.”
At the end of the meeting, he leaned over to kiss Francis on the head. Francis then took Umar’s hand, brought it to his face, and kissed it as well.
Interfaith dialogue is a close concern for Francis, 87, who became the first pope to visit Indonesia in 35 years when he arrived on Tuesday. He will also Papua New Guinea, East Timor And Singapore during the trip, which was postponed from 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Francis, who now regularly uses a wheelchair due to a knee problem, will travel more than 20,000 miles during the journey, longest and furthest of his pontificateThe Vatican said he would travel with a doctor and two nurses, as is standard procedure.
About 80,000 people were expected to attend a mass that Francis celebrated Thursday afternoon in a stadium in Jakarta. There are about 8 million Catholics in Indonesia, a country of 280 million where nearly 87% of the population is Muslim.
Despite Indonesia’s commitment to religious freedom, religious discrimination and violence are not uncommon in the archipelago.
In 2021, a newlywed couple blew themselves up outside a full cathedral during Palm Sunday Mass, injuring 20 people in the city of Makassar.
In 2018, a family of six, including a 9-year-old girl, carried out suicide bombings at three Christian churches during Sunday services in the country’s second-largest city, Surabaya. The attacks, which the Islamic State claimed responsibility for, killed at least 13 people and wounded 40.
Lai Pan Chiu, director of the Centre for Catholic Studies at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, said Francis’ emphasis on the common roots of modern Catholicism and Islam was useful for improving interfaith relations.
“But to address the violence of the past, whether Muslims against Christians or vice versa, it is even more useful to dig deeper into the Abrahamic tradition of showing hospitality to strangers, including people of other faiths,” he said in an email.
After Indonesia, Francis will travel to the Pacific island nation of Papua New Guinea on Friday and meet with local religious leaders the next day before heading to East Timor, the only Catholic-majority country on his itinerary.
Francis’ final destination is Singapore, where three-quarters of the population is ethnic Chinese, and he will have the chance to send an indirect message to Catholics in China as the Vatican tries improve relations with Beijing.
This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
