By Thaddeus Jones
JAKARTA, Indonesia — Pope Francis began the third day of his Apostolic Journey to Asia and Oceania on Thursday, 5 September, by visiting the Istiqlal Mosque in Jakarta, Indonesia, for an interreligious meeting in southeast Asia’s largest mosque.
Welcoming him was the Grand Imam, Dr. Nasaruddin Umar. Together they also visited the “Tunnel of Friendship,” which provides an underground walkway connecting the Istiqlal Mosque with the Catholic Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Assumption from it with a three-lane highway in between.
They also signed the the Joint Declaration of Istiqlal 2024, underscoring that the values common to all religious traditions be effectively promoted to “defeat the culture of violence and indifference” and promote reconciliation and peace.
In his address, Pope Francis thanked the Grand Imam for his warmth and hospitality, and for reminding everyone how this place of worship and prayer is “a great house for humanity” where people can take time to remember the “yearning for the infinite” that we carry in our hearts and the need “to seek an encounter with the divine and experience the joy of friendship with others.”
Cultivating dialogue and harmony
The Pope paid tribute to the “great gift” of Indonesians in their work to promote “dialogue, mutual respect and harmonious coexistence between religions and different spiritual sensibilities.”
He said that the Mosque’s history is a testament to these efforts, recalling that a local Christian architect, Friedrich Silaban, won the design competition for building it.
The Pope encouraged them to cultivate this gift every day, “so that religious experiences may be reference points for a fraternal and peaceful society.”
Encounter and dialogue
The “Tunnel of Friendship” connecting the Istiqlal Mosque and the Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Assumption also marks “an eloquent sign” the Pope observed, as these two places of worship not only face each other, but are linked to one another, allowing for “encounter, dialogue… a genuine experience of fraternity.”
He said may each of us in our spiritual journey “walk in search of God and contribute to building open societies, founded on reciprocal respect and mutual love, capable of protecting against rigidity, fundamentalism and extremism, which are always dangerous and never justifiable.”
Always look deeply
“The one root common to all religious sensitivities: the quest for an encounter with the divine, the thirst for the infinite that the Almighty has placed in our hearts, the search for a greater joy and a life stronger than any type of death, which animates the journey of our lives and impels us to step out of ourselves to encounter God.”
The Pope went on to emphasize that by looking deeper at our lives, we can appreciate that in light of the common “thirst for the infinite,” we can discover how we are all brothers and sisters, “all pilgrims, all on our way to God, beyond what differentiates us.”
Cultivating bonds of friendship
The Pope then highlighted the importance of preserving the bonds of friendship by focusing on what unites us in the midst of the richness of our diversity as we “seek the truth together” and can learn from each other’s religious traditions and come together “to meet our human and spiritual needs.”
We can also pursue the same goals together, the Pope observed, such as defending human dignity, helping the poor, promoting peace, and protecting the environment.
Called to foster religious harmony
In conclusion, the Pope said “fostering religious harmony for the sake of humanity” is our common calling and the title of the joint declaration just signed. In doing so, we can respond together to the crises, wars, conflicts that are inflicting so much suffering, “unfortunately caused at times by the manipulation of religion.”
By effectively promoting the values common to all religious traditions, we can work to “defeat the culture of violence and indifference… and promote reconciliation and peace,” the Pope said, quoting from the Joint Declaration of Istiqlal.
“If it is true that you are home to the world’s largest gold mine, know that the most precious treasure is the determination that differences can be harmonized through concord and mutual respect instead of being a cause for conflict…May everyone instead be awestruck by the dream of a free, fraternal and peaceful society and humanity!”
