Pope Francis concluded a successful three-day visit to Indonesia with two very different but significant events: He signed a joint declaration in defense of human dignity and the environment with the grand imam of the Istiqlal Mosque in Jakarta, and he presided at Mass in a sports stadium in the city for 100,000 Catholics, including many young people, from all over the country.
At both events, and indeed throughout his sojourn in this hot, humid and polluted city, the pope showed that he is in good health and, notwithstanding his mobility problems, has impressive energy for a man who will turn 88 in three months.
He began the day by traveling to the Istiqlal Mosque, the largest mosque in Southeast Asia. Hundreds of Indonesians lined the road outside the mosque, cheered and waved Vatican and Indonesian flags as he drove past in the white, hybrid economy Toyota that he has used on this trip.
Drum beats sounded loudly as Francis entered the mosque compound. The grand imam, Nasaruddin Umar, dressed in white, warmly welcomed him by kissing him on both cheeks as soon as he got out of the car, and the smiling pope responded also with a kiss. All this communicated a message to Indonesia and to the wider world of the respect and friendship that exists between Catholics and Muslims in this country of 17,000 islands.
His presence on the grounds of the mosque, the heart of Islam in this country with the largest Muslim population in the world, was a powerful statement to the world that Catholic-Muslim dialogue is alive in this land and that both sides are fully committed to making the bonds of mutual respect and friendship even stronger.
Francis and the grand imam signed the ”Joint Declaration of Istiqlal 2024,” which, as its subtitle reveals, aims at “fostering religious harmony for the sake of humanity.” Some consider it to be an Asian echo of the Document on Human Fraternity signed by Pope Francis and the grand imam of Al-Azhar in Abu Dhabi in February 2019. The new declaration is much shorter—a mere two pages—and far from being as comprehensive, since it addresses only two of the “serious crises” in today’s world: “dehumanization and climate change.” Nevertheless, it was yet another milestone in Catholic-Muslim dialogue at the international level.
The declaration addresses “the global phenomenon of dehumanization” that “is marked especially by widespread violence and conflict” in which “religion is often instrumentalized.” It emphasizes “the role of religion should include promoting and safeguarding the dignity of every human life.”
“The human exploitation of creation, our common home, has contributed to climate change, leading to various destructive consequences such as natural disasters, global warming and unpredictable weather patterns,” the declaration asserts. “This ongoing environmental crisis has become an obstacle to the harmonious coexistence of peoples.”
It calls on different religious traditions to respond to these two crises by promoting their respective values “in order to defeat the culture of violence and indifference afflicting our world” and to promote “a culture of respect, dignity, compassion, reconciliation and fraternal solidarity.”
“Interreligious dialogue ought to be recognized as an effective instrument for resolving local, regional and international conflicts, especially those incited by the abuse of religion,” it says.
The joint declaration was endorsed by the leaders of the six religions recognized in Indonesia—Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, Protestantism, Catholicism and Confucianism—who were present at an interreligious meeting hosted by the grand imam in a tent on the mosque compound. The historic event was attended by some 300 persons from all over the country who are active in interfaith dialogue as well as the 37 members of the Indonesian bishops’ conference.
After welcoming Francis, the grand imam first escorted him to the entrance of “the tunnel of friendship” that links the Istiqlal Mosque to the nearby Catholic cathedral. Francis applauded the tunnel as a concrete expression of Catholic-Muslim dialogue and said: “We who belong to different religious traditions have a role to play in helping everyone pass through the tunnels of life with our eyes turned towards the light. Then, at the end of the journey, we will be able to recognize in those who have walked beside us, a brother, a sister, with whom we can share life and support each other.”
The grand imam then accompanied Francis, seated on a wheelchair, to the large tent that had been set up nearby to host the interfaith gathering; the inside temperature was like that of a sauna. Next, a blind woman recited a passage from the Koran and a priest read St. Luke’s Gospel story of the good Samaritan. The grand imam, addressing the pope, then said, “It is my great joy to welcome you to the Istiqlal Mosque.” He told him, “Your presence here is a great honor for all the citizens of Indonesia.” He recounted the history of the mosque and emphasized that “it is not only a house of worship for Muslims but also a great home for humanity.” He said that “it seeks to promote religious tolerance and moderation in Islam.” He concluded, “God willing, the message and ideals expressed by Your Holiness, will be put into practice by all of us and brought to fruition.”
Francis shook his hand in appreciation, and said, “I am happy to be here!” He recalled that the mosque was designed by the architect Friedrich Silaban, a Christian who won a design competition for the mosque in the 1950s, and said, “This testifies to the fact that throughout the history of this nation and in the very fabric of its culture, mosques, like other places of worship, are spaces of dialogue, mutual respect and harmonious coexistence between religions and different spiritual sensibilities.”
Referring to “the tunnel of friendship” they had just visited, Francis described it as “an eloquent sign, allowing these two great places of worship [the mosque and the cathedral] not only to be ‘in front’ of each other but also ‘connected’ to each other.” He encouraged Indonesian Muslims and Catholics “to continue along this path so that all of us, together, each cultivating his or her own spirituality and practicing his or her religion, may 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.”
He offered two suggestions to help them continue on this path. First, “always look deeply, because only in this way can we find what unites despite our differences.” By “looking deeply,” he said, “we discover that we are all brothers and sisters, all pilgrims, all on our way to God, beyond what differentiates us.”
Second, he urged them to cultivate “bonds of friendship, care and reciprocity. These relationships link us to others, allowing us to commit ourselves to seek the truth together, learning from the religious traditions of others, and coming together to meet our human and spiritual needs. They are also bonds that allow us to work together, to move forward together in pursuit of the same goals: defense of human dignity, the fight against poverty and the promotion of peace.”
The declaration signed, he said, “is the path that we are called to follow.” By doing so, he added, “we take on the responsibility to address 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, and the environmental crisis, which is an obstacle to the growth and coexistence of peoples.”
In the face of these crises, he said, quoting the declaration, “it is important that the values common to all religious traditions be effectively promoted in order to help society defeat the culture of violence and indifference,” and, he added, “promote reconciliation and peace.”
He concluded by telling the attendees of the interfaith gathering, “If it is true that you [in Indonesia] 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.” He told them: “Do not lose this gift! On the contrary, cultivate it and pass it on, especially to the young. May no one succumb to the allure of fundamentalism and violence. May everyone instead be awestruck by the dream of a free, fraternal and peaceful society and humanity!”
He then joined all the religious leaders for a group photo in front of the mosque, though he did not enter it. The grand imam kissed him on his head twice, and Francis kissed his hand. They shared a kiss again as they bade farewell before the pope got into his car.
At the meeting, I asked Marsudi Syuhud Sahudi, the general secretary of Nahdlatul Ulama, Indonesia’s largest Muslim organization with membership numbering more than 50 million, what he thought of the pope’s visit. “It is very important for building the Muslim-Catholic dialogue,” he said. “We have a long history of good relations with Catholics.” Dialogue with all religions is needed, he added, “because no religion is fostering terrorism, but in Indonesia, we face the challenge of radicalism.” He said that “radicalism is not Indonesian; it comes from outside, from the Middle East.” He emphasized that Islam in Indonesia is “moderate” and “the majority of Muslims in the country are moderate.”
This was “a marvelous, a fantastic meeting,” Philip Widjaja, the leader of the Buddhist community in Indonesia, told America. He recalled that Buddhists were the first majority religion in the country, and now the different religions seek to live in harmony and peace.
Many people expressed admiration that the pope made such a long journey to visit this nation. Didiek Diernahimiyadi, a retired journalist from central Java, told America, “We feel the pope loves us very much to make such a long journey to come here.” He said the interfaith meeting “means a lot to us, we are very happy. ‘Fratellli Tutti’ is most relevant to our situation here in Indonesia.” He and his wife, Linda, expressed great admiration for Francis, saying they are particularly impressed that “he is so very humble.”
In the afternoon, Pope Francis went to the Gelora Bung Karno Main Stadium to preside at Mass for 100,000 people gathered not only in that stadium, but also in an adjacent one. It was Francis’ last public event, and the Indonesian president, Joko Widodo, honored him with his presence.
The congregation treated Francis almost like a rock star when he drove around to greet those gathered in the two stadiums. In his homily, he urged them to “listen to the word of God” and then “put it into practice” in their lives. He concluded by telling them: “Brothers and sisters, I would also like to say to you, to this nation, to this wonderful and varied archipelago, do not grow weary of setting sail and casting your nets, do not grow weary of dreaming and building again a civilization of peace! Always dare to dream of fraternity! “
He encouraged them “to sow seeds of love, confidently tread the path of dialogue, continue to show your goodness and kindness with your characteristic smile and be builders of unity and peace. In this way, you will spread the fragrance of hope around you.”
Pope Francis bids farewell to Indonesia on Friday morning when he makes the six-hour flight to Papua New Guinea, the second leg of his 12-day journey to four countries.
