Jakarta – Pope Francis made a historic visit to Indonesia, visiting several important sites as part of his efforts to strengthen interfaith dialogue. The agenda of the visit included the Istiqlal Mosque, the Headquarters of the Indonesian Bishops’ Conference (KWI), and culminated in a Grand Mass at the Gelora Bung Karno Stadium (GBK). In the morning, Pope Francis began his visit by visiting the Istiqlal Mosque. There, he was warmly welcomed by the Grand Imam of the Istiqlal Mosque, Prof. Dr. Nasaruddin Umar, who accompanied the Pope on a tour of the largest mosque in Southeast Asia. On that occasion, Grand Imam Nasaruddin Umar said that Pope Francis’ visit was a symbol of harmony between religious communities in the world. Even in the midst of differences, they still respect each other, live in harmony and tolerate each other. “Pope Francis’ visit to the Istiqlal Mosque is a strong symbol of brotherhood between religious communities that must continue to be maintained. This shows that religious differences do not have to be a barrier, but rather a strength to build peace together,” said Nasaruddin Umar. After his visit to the Istiqlal Mosque, Pope Francis continued his journey to the KWI Headquarters. There, he was welcomed by the Chairman of the Indonesian Bishops’ Conference (KWI), Antonius Subianto Bunjamin. The meeting discussed various social and religious issues, as well as the importance of cooperation between Catholics and other communities in order to uphold tolerance between religious communities in Indonesia. “We are very grateful for Pope Francis’ visit which has given encouragement to Catholics in Indonesia to continue to establish good relations with all groups, and to strengthen the unity of the nation,” said Antonius Subianto Bunjamin. The highlight of Pope Francis’ visit to Jakarta was the Grand Mass at the Gelora Bung Karno Stadium which was attended by around 86 thousand Catholics from all over the country. The Mass, led directly by Pope Francis, was solemn and full of meaning. In his homily, the Pope invited all people to continue to maintain peace, harmony, and unity amidst diversity. “We are called to be peacemakers in a world often plagued by conflict. Peace must begin with ourselves and then we share it with others,” said Pope Francis. Pope Francis’ visit has received widespread attention from various groups, both domestically and internationally. His steps are seen as a concrete effort to promote interreligious dialogue and strengthen the foundations of tolerance in Indonesia, a country with the largest Muslim population in the world but also has high religious diversity.With the end of this visit, it is hoped that the spirit of brotherhood between religious communities in Indonesia will become stronger, and Indonesia will become an example for other countries in managing diversity well.
