Pope Francis, Indonesian Grand Imam share a tender moment

In a show of unity – and the briefest of moments caught on camera – Pope Francis and the grand imam of the largest mosque in Southeast Asia traded kisses.

Nasaruddin Umar, the imam, leaned over to kiss Francis on the forehead as the 87-year-old pontiff, in his wheelchair, was preparing to leave the Istaqlal Mosque in Jakarta. In return, the pope grasped Nasaruddin’s hand, kissed it and held it to his cheek.

These two senior clerics from their respective religions had just emerged from the great building where, as witnessed by leaders of Indonesia’s other religious communities, they called for a deeper understanding between faiths and collective efforts toward global peace.

Francis then departed for a stadium in the Indonesian capital, where he presided over a celebration of Mass in front of tens of thousands of the Catholic faithful, as he completed the third and final day of his visit to the world’s most populous Muslim nation.

Calling the Istiqlal Mosque “a great house for humanity,” the pope highlighted that it had been designed by Friedrich Silaban, a Christian. 

“This testifies to the fact that throughout the history of this nation and in the very fabric of its culture, the mosque, like other places of worship, are spaces of dialogue, mutual respect and harmonious coexistence between religions and different spiritual sensibilities,” Francis said during a sermon at the mosque. 

“This is a great gift that you are called to cultivate every day, so that religious experiences may be reference points for a fraternal and peaceful society and never reasons for close-mindedness or confrontation.”

Francis, who was close to finishing the first leg of his 12-day visit to Southeast Asia and Papua New Guinea, underscored the importance of mutual respect and collaboration across religious traditions, framing it as essential to global stability.

One of the notable features of Istiqlal is its “tunnel of friendship,” a subterranean passage linking the mosque to the Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Assumption. 

Completed in 2021, the 38.3-meter (125-foot) tunnel is intended to serve as a symbol of Indonesia’s commitment to promoting interfaith tolerance and cooperation.

“This is an eloquent sign, allowing these two great places of worship not only to be ‘in front’ of each other, but also ‘connected’ to each other,” Francis said.

In his address at the mosque, Francis also urged people of the different faiths to “contribute to building open societies, founded on reciprocal respect and mutual love, capable of protecting against rigidity, fundamentalism, and extremism, which are always dangerous and never justifiable.”

“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 promote reconciliation and peace,” he said.

Although a religiously diverse nation, Indonesia, a sprawling archipelago-nation, has in the past experienced deadly episodes of violent extremism and inter-communal conflict.  

Francis was scheduled to travel to Papua New Guinea on Friday before visiting Timor-Leste and Singapore, in what marks his longest journey since becoming pontiff. Earlier on, during his visit to Indonesia, Francis met President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo and engaged with Catholic leaders at the Jakarta Cathedral.

Mass at two stadiums

After his visit to the Istaqlal Mosque, the pope led a Mass attended by an estimated 100,000 faithful at Jakarta’s Gelora Bung Karno stadium and the smaller Madya stadium nearby. Dressed in a simple white cassock, Francis waved to the crowds and kissed babies as he traveled in an open vehicle between the stadiums.

Addressing the challenges of building a just society and promoting peace, Francis acknowledged feelings of inadequacy and the heavy burden of commitments, but urged perseverance.

“Even when we have passed through the night of failure and times of disappointment when we have caught nothing, we can always risk going out to sea and cast our nets again,” he said during the Mass.

‘Trembling with awe’

About 3% of Indonesia’s 280 million population is Catholic and 7% is Protestant. Across the globe, nearly 1.4 billion identify as Catholic.

Outside the mosque, pilgrims expressed excitement at seeing the pope.

RELATED STORIES

As Pope arrives in Indonesia, Muslim groups highlight Palestinian suffering

Asia-Pacific Catholics rejoice over Pope’s visit

Pope Francis embarks on first papal visit to Thailand since 1984

Don’t see Christianity as a foreign religion, Pope tells Thais

Among those who gathered was Vera Philipe, 27, from East Nusa Tenggara. She had traveled with her 8-month-old baby in hopes of receiving the pope’s blessing. 

“I tried to lift my baby, but I couldn’t,” she told BenarNews. 

“But I was able to see him up close and I was trembling with awe. I wanted to shake his hand, but I couldn’t,” she said.

Helena Willy Rotinsulu, 75, said she stood for more than two hours, waiting to see Francis as he entered the mosque.

“I am so happy, as if touched by God,” she said, having seen Francis from a distance. 

“After seeing the pope, my fatigue disappeared,” she told BenarNews.

“This is a rare moment; I might not be here for the next visit.”

Religious leaders gather

Grand Imam Nasaruddin echoed Francis’ call for peaceful coexistence. 

“Our brothers and sisters across the world continue to suffer from conflict,” Nasaruddin said in his welcoming speech at the mosque. “We also face an environmental crisis, with climate change posing serious threats to our future.”

The meeting culminated in a joint declaration signed by Francis and Nasaruddin and witnessed by leaders of Indonesia’s six official religions – Islam, Catholicism, Protestantism, Hinduism, Buddhism and Confucianism.

The declaration denounces “global phenomenon of de-humanization” that fuels violence and conflict, claiming countless lives. 

They also expressed deep concern over the exploitation of religion. 

“It is particularly worrying that religion is often instrumentalized in this regard, causing suffering to many, especially women, children and the elderly.”

“The role of religion, however, should include promoting and safeguarding the dignity of every human life.”

The statement also highlighted the impact of human actions on the environment that had led to “various destructive consequences such as natural disasters, global warming and unpredictable weather patterns.” 

“This ongoing environmental crisis has become an obstacle to the harmonious coexistence of peoples,” they said.

The leaders called for a renewed emphasis on core religious values to counter the prevailing culture of violence and neglect. 

“Religious leaders in particular, inspired by their respective spiritual narratives and traditions, should cooperate in responding to the abovementioned crises, identifying their causes and taking appropriate action.”