Jakarta – Pope Francis’ visit to Indonesia has made a new history in interfaith relations. Today, Pope Francis made an official visit to the Istiqlal Mosque, Jakarta, which is one of the largest mosques in Southeast Asia. This visit is part of the Pope’s mission to strengthen relations and dialogue between religions throughout the world. At the Istiqlal Mosque, the World Catholic Church Leader visited the tunnel of friendship that connects two places of worship, namely the Istiqlal Mosque and the Cathedral Church, Thursday (5/9/2024). During his visit, the Pope was accompanied by the Grand Imam of the Istiqlal Mosque Nasaruddin Umar and the Archbishop of Jakarta, Cardinal Ignatius Suharyo. While greeting the invited guests, the Pope went straight to the signing place of the inscription for the tunnel of friendship. Before signing, the Pope expressed his admiration for this tunnel. This connecting path is considered as a means of interfaith dialogue and encounter. “Dear brothers and sisters, I congratulate you all, because the purpose of this tunnel of friendship is to be a place of dialogue and encounter,” said the Pope. The Pope said that usually tunnels are known to be dark and make people afraid. However, this tunnel of friendship is different because it illuminates those who pass through it. “When we think of a tunnel, we easily imagine a dark hallway, and especially when we are alone it makes us afraid,” he said. “But here it is different. Because everything is bright,” he continued. The Pope said that what makes this tunnel bright is the bond between religions and tolerance of diversity. He said that every religious community must indeed maintain harmony and support each other. Meanwhile, the Grand Imam of the Istiqlal Mosque, Nasaruddin Umar said that this tunnel was indeed built as a symbol of unity. He also hopes that with this tunnel, it can build a sense of togetherness and tolerance between religious communities. “Inside this tunnel there is a very beautiful view, which symbolizes the symbol of friendship, very good cooperation between religious communities, and this tunnel can be used for meetings between religious communities,” he concluded.After delivering their remarks, the Pope and Nasaruddin Umar signed the inscription of the tunnel of friendship. Then, both of them had the chance to see the inside of the tunnel.
