Pope Francis and Grand Imam Nasaruddin Umar signed a landmark declaration on Thursday, September 5, at Istiqlal Mosque in Jakarta, Indonesia, during one of the final major events of the Pope’s three-day visit. This visit signifies a pivotal moment in interfaith relations and also kicked off a gruelling tour across the Asia-Pacific region.
‘Unity between faiths’ has been the central theme of Pope Francis’s trip. The declaration signed at Southeast Asia’s biggest mosque called for “religious harmony for the sake of humanity,” underscoring the Pope’s commitment to fostering interfaith understanding and cooperation.
Pope Francis warned against the misuse of religion to incite conflicts in a declaration signed with a prominent Indonesian Imam. This announcement came just before he was set to hold a mass for tens of thousands in Jakarta.
“The global phenomenon of dehumanisation is marked especially by widespread violence and conflict. It is particularly worrying that religion is often instrumentalised in this regard,” it read.
“The role of religion should include promoting and safeguarding the dignity of every human life.”
In a speech before leaders of Indonesia’s six recognized religions—Islam, Protestantism, Catholicism, Buddhism, Hinduism, and Confucianism—Pope Francis emphasised a message of unity, stating, “We are all brothers, all pilgrims, all on our way to God, beyond what differentiates us.”
“By looking deeply, we discover that we are all brothers, all pilgrims, all on our way to God, beyond what differentiates us,” said the 87-year-old Pope Francis at Jakarta’s Istiqlal Mosque.
The pope was welcomed to the mosque by a percussion band often used in Islamic ceremonies.
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