Jakarta, IO – The interfaith declaration was signed by the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican city state at the Istiqlal Mosque, Jakarta, Thursday (5/9).
In his speech, the Pope said that strengthening religious harmony for humanity is an inspiration that everyone should strive for, particularly in a time of crisis that threatens the future of humanity, especially war and conflict.
“Not only the exploitation of religion but also the environmental crisis, which has become an obstacle to the growth of life together in society. And facing this scenario, it is important to advance and enrich the values that are common to all religious traditions, helping society to ‘defeat the culture of violence and indifference’ and to advance reconciliation and peace,” said the Argentine Pope.
On that occasion, Pope Francis said he was very happy to be able to visit the Istiqlal Mosque which is the largest in Southeast Asia. The Pope fondly recalled that the mosque was designed by Christian architect Friedrich Silaban.
“This proves that, in the history of this nation and in the culture that has developed here, the mosque, like other places of worship, is a space for dialogue, a space for mutual respect and living together in peace among different religions and spiritual sensibilities,” he said.
Read: Pope Francis visits ‘Tunnel of Fraternity’s connecting Jakarta Cathedral to Istiqlal Mosque
Finally, the Pope thanked the hospitality of the Indonesian people and of the Muslim clerics who warmly received him at the mosque.
“Thank you for your friendly smile, which always radiates from your face and is a sign of your beauty and openness of heart. May God preserve this gift. With His help and blessings, keep moving forward, Bhinneka Tunggal Ika, different but still one. Thank you,” he said with a smile. (rr)