Pope Francis issued a strong warning on Thursday against the use of religion to incite conflicts, in a joint declaration with a prominent Indonesian imam during his visit to Jakarta. This marked one of the final major events of the 87-year-old pontiff’s three-day stay in Indonesia, the world’s largest Muslim-majority nation, as part of a broader tour of the Asia-Pacific region.
The primary focus of the pope’s trip has been promoting religious harmony. Speaking at the Istiqlal Mosque, he emphasized that “by looking deeply… we discover that we are all brothers, all pilgrims, all on our way to God, beyond what differentiates us.”
In his remarks, the pope warned against the dangers of weaponizing religion for conflict and highlighted the global environmental crisis as a critical challenge threatening human civilization. His meeting included leaders from Indonesia’s six officially recognized religions.
“We take on the responsibility to address the serious… crises that threaten the future of humanity, such as wars, conflicts, and the environmental crisis, which hinder the growth and co-existence of peoples,” Pope Francis said.
The pope was welcomed at the mosque with traditional Islamic ceremonial music. During the event, both a passage from the Quran, recited by a young blind girl, and a passage from the Bible were shared.
The Istiqlal Mosque sits opposite Jakarta’s cathedral, symbolically linked by a “tunnel of friendship” representing religious unity. Before the meeting, Pope Francis visited the tunnel, offered blessings, and signed a portion of it.
Grand Imam Nasaruddin Umar explained that the declaration between him and the pope carried two key messages: “Humanity is one—there are no distinctions of color—and the need to protect our environment.”
On Thursday afternoon, Pope Francis will lead a mass for nearly 80,000 attendees at Indonesia’s main football stadium, with additional tens of thousands expected outside. Many have traveled from across Indonesia’s archipelago for the event.
Catholics represent less than three percent of Indonesia’s population, about eight million people, compared to the 87 percent Muslim majority. Despite being a minority, Catholicism is one of six official religions in the secular country, alongside Islam, Protestantism, Buddhism, Hinduism, and Confucianism.
The pope’s visit has drawn attention to the challenges faced by religious minorities in Indonesia, with some pointing to increasing discrimination against Christians in certain areas. Amnesty International Indonesia urged the pope to advocate for greater protection of minority groups, citing 123 documented cases of religious intolerance between January 2021 and July 2024.
“The Pope’s visit plays a crucial role in encouraging Indonesia to end intolerance and discrimination against all minority groups,” said Usman Hamid of Amnesty International.
This visit marks the third time a pope has visited Indonesia, the last being by Pope John Paul II in 1989. After concluding his stay in Indonesia, Pope Francis is scheduled to visit Papua New Guinea, East Timor, and Singapore. The trip, his longest yet, is a test of the pope’s health, though he has appeared in good spirits, smiling and engaging with crowds during his first full day of events in Jakarta.