On September 5, 2024, Pope Francis’ third day in Indonesia, he reached out to the country’s large Muslim community, made up of more than 200 million faithful. On his way to Jakarta's Istiqlal Mosque -- the largest in Southeast Asia -- the Pope blessed the famous “tunnel of friendship” that links the mosque to the Catholic cathedral, and signed a joint declaration with the Grand Imam advocating for the rejection of fundamentalism and for the search for friendship between religions.
Arriving by car from the nearby Apostolic Nunciature -- less than two kilometers (around 1 mile) away -- the head of the Catholic Church was welcomed under a large tent by Grand Imam Nasaruddin Umar.
Behind them stood the large Mosque, with its 66-meter-high (over 216 feet) minaret, that can accommodate 120,000 people. Opened in 1978, it was designed by Christian Indonesian architect Friedrich Silaban.
Together, the Pope and the Grand Imam went to the entrance of the “tunnel of friendship,” an underground gallery linking the Istiqlal mosque and the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption, which the Pontiff visited yesterday.
The two buildings are located just a hundred meters apart, and are a symbol of dialogue between religions. In a brief address in front of the small gallery, which was excavated in 2021, the Pope said that "in the face of today’s many challenges, we respond with the sign of fraternity."
He then blessed this important symbolic site, which is still closed to the public for the time being.
Build open societies founded on love and respect
The Argentine Pontiff did not enter the Istiqlal mosque, an important symbol of Islam in the country, but took part in an interfaith meeting in the square in front of it. In front of all the country's religious authorities, and in particular the Grand Imam Nasaruddin Umar -- a central figure in Indonesian society -- the Pope first listened to a young, blind Muslim woman -- a hafiz, i.e. a person capable of reciting the Quran in its entirety -- chant verses in a rich metallic voice and with tears in her eyes. Then a priest read the parable of the Good Samaritan.
Taking the floor next, the Pontiff encouraged all to “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.”
He expressed his hope that religious experiences can be “reference points for a fraternal and peaceful society and never reasons for close-mindedness or confrontation.”
The common root of all religions: the thirst for the infinite
Throughout his address the Pope called different religions to “always look deeply” to find the “one common root to all religious sensitivities,” beyond just “visible aspects” such as rites and practices.
The common goal is “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,” Pope Francis explained.
“Here, let us remember that by looking deeply, grasping what flows in the depths of our lives, the desire for fullness that dwells in the depths of our hearts, we discover that we are all brothers and sisters, all pilgrims, all on our way to God, beyond what differentiates us.”
Francis also warned against the pitfall of seeking common ground between different religious doctrines and beliefs "no matter the cost."
“The tunnel was built in order to create a link between two different and distant places. This is what the tunnel does: it connects, creating a bond. Sometimes we think that a meeting between religions is a matter of seeking common ground between different religious doctrines and beliefs no matter the cost.
"Such an approach [...], may end up dividing us, because the doctrines and dogmas of each religious experience are different. What really brings us closer is creating a connection in the midst of diversity, cultivating bonds of friendship, care, and reciprocity,” he highlighted.
Signing of the Istiqlal Joint Declaration
At the end of the meeting, Pope Francis and the Grand Imam Umar -- along with representatives of Confucianism, Protestantism, traditional religions, Buddhism and Hinduism -- signed a one-page joint declaration dedicated to “fostering religious harmony for the sake of humanity.”
Modeled on the Document on Human Fraternity, signed in 2019 in Abu Dhabi by Pope Francis and the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, Sheikh Ahmed Al-Tayeb, the signatories pledge to help society “defeat the culture of violence and indifference,” and adopt a common stance on defending the environment and promote reconciliation and peace.
Introducing the declaration, which is based on Pancasila, Indonesia's official philosophy of respect between religions, Pope Francis spoke of “the serious and sometimes dramatic crises that threaten the future of humanity such as wars and conflicts, which are unfortunately caused at times by the manipulation of religion."
With Indonesia, Pope Francis is visiting a predominantly Muslim country for the 14th time in his pontificate. Indonesia is the first of four nations he will visit on his 12-day trip to Asia and Oceania. His next stops will be in Papua New Guinea, Timor Leste, and Singapore.
