Pope Francis and Nasaruddin Umar, Grand Imam of Jakarta, call for action against wars and climate change

Pope Francis signed a joint document with the Grand Imam of Jakarta on Thursday, September 5, calling for action against the religious instrumentalization of conflicts and global warming. He will then preside over a giant mass in an 80,000-seat stadium, the culmination of the first leg of his Asia-Pacific tour.

At an interfaith meeting in front of the Istiqlal Mosque, the largest in Southeast Asia, the head of the Catholic Church and Grand Imam Nasaruddin Umar expressed concern about the “dehumanization” related to the “generalization of conflicts and violence” and called to “take decisive action to preserve the integrity of the natural environment and its resources”.

The meeting, attended by representatives of the six officially recognised faiths in the country – Islam, Protestantism, Catholicism, Buddhism, Hinduism and Confucianism – is one of the highlights of the Pope’s three-day visit to Jakarta, under high security, as part of a tour of Asia and Oceania, the longest and most distant trip since his election in 2013.

“Humanity is one, there are no colors”

Despite his hectic pace, the 87-year-old pontiff has appeared smiling and in good shape since his arrival on Tuesday: joking willingly with the faithful, he did not seem bothered by the humid heat of Jakarta, nor by the numerous requests, nor by the time difference, even enjoying several crowd baths.

Inaugurated in 1978, the Istiqlal Mosque, which authorities say can accommodate up to 250,000 worshipers, is next to the Sainte-Marie-de-l’Assomption Cathedral. The two buildings are connected by a thirty-meter “friendship tunnel” built in 2020, a symbol of religious fraternity. “To the many signs of threat, to the dark periods, let us oppose the sign of fraternity”the Pope said in front of the tunnel.

To the sound of traditional songs and drums, Francis was welcomed in a joyful atmosphere under a large tent set up near the mosque, but did not enter the prayer hall, while hundreds of people crowded behind barriers around it. After attending the sung recitation of a passage from the Koran and then a reading of a passage from the Gospel, he signed the “Istiqlal Declaration” with representatives of other faiths. This document is in addition to the steps taken by Francis to develop dialogue with other religions: he has visited Muslim-majority countries on several occasions and signed a document on human fraternity in Abu Dhabi in 2019 with the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar.

“We have two main messages. The first is that (…) Humanity is one, there are no colors. And the second: how to save our environment”the Grand Imam of Jakarta, Nasaruddin Umar, told Agence France-Presse.

The vast archipelago of 17,500 islands is home to the largest Muslim population in the world (242 million, or 87% of the inhabitants), and some eight million Catholics (less than 3%).

Jakarta before Papua New Guinea, East Timor and Singapore

In the middle of the morning, Francis then met with poor people supported by charities at the headquarters of the Indonesian Episcopal Conference.

In the afternoon, for one of the highlights of communion with the Indonesian faithful, he will preside over an open-air high mass at 5 p.m. local time at the Gelora Bung Karno national stadium, in front of 80,000 people, while an equal number are expected to crowd to follow the ceremony outside the stadium.

After Paul VI in 1970 and John Paul II in 1989, Francis is the third pope to visit the country, whose capital has honoured him with Vatican flags and welcome posters.

This visit is part of a marathon tour of four countries in Southeast Asia and Oceania, initially planned for 2020, but postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic: Francis, who will leave Jakarta on Friday morning, will then travel to Papua New Guinea, then to East Timor and Singapore, where he will complete a 32,000-kilometer journey on September 13.

This forty-fifth trip abroad is a major physical challenge for the Argentinian Jesuit, who uses a wheelchair. But he often appears invigorated by the travels and contact with the faithful.