Pope Francis on Thursday called for solidarity against religious extremism during his visit to Indonesia, the world’s most populous Muslim country.
The 87-year-old head of the Catholic Church highlighted the importance of unity to “defeat the culture of violence and indifference,” during his visit to the Istiqlal Mosque, the largest in South-East Asia.
Pope Francis met with Grand Imam Nasaruddin Umar and signed a joint declaration which underscored values common across different religions to promote reconciliation and peace. They both expressed concern over climate change.
He and the grand imam stood at the entrance to the “Tunnel of Friendship,” an underpass which connects the mosque compound with the neighbouring Catholic cathedral, Our Lady of the Assumption.
It was an “eloquent sign,” Pope Francis said as the two places not only faced each other but were linked, allowing for “encounter, dialogue … a genuine experience of fraternity.”
On the third day of his visit, the pope later celebrated Mass in a football stadium before a congregation of more than 60,000, using his sermon to repeat his call for tolerance between the world’s religions, dialogue and peace.
Pope Francis arrived in Indonesia on Tuesday, kicking off the longest foreign trip of his tenure so far, due to take him to four countries in South-East Asia and Oceania over the next 12 days.
With more than 240 million Muslims, Indonesia is the most populous Muslim country in the world.
On Friday, he will continue his journey to Papua New Guinea, before visiting East Timor and Singapore.
