‘Togetherness in diversity’: Pope on unity at S-E Asia’s largest mosque

When Pope Francis stepped on to the hallowed grounds of the Istiqlal mosque in the Indonesian capital on Thursday, he marked a historic moment in his quest to bridge the divides between the world’s major religions.

Dressed in a simple white cassock, he was greeted by Istiqlal’s grand imam, Nasaruddin Umar, and representatives from Indonesia’s six officially recognised religions – Islam, Catholicism, Protestantism, Buddhism, Hinduism, and Confucianism. In a speech welcoming the pope, Nasaruddin underscored the need for peaceful coexistence amid global diversity.

“Our brothers and sisters worldwide continue to endure severe hardships due to conflict,” he said. “We also face an environmental crisis with climate change and global warming posing serious threats to our existence.” For his part, the pope highlighted the architectural contribution of Friedrich Silaban, a Christian who designed the mosque, the largest in southeast Asia, which opened in the 1970s.

“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,” he said. For many Catholics in Jakarta, Francis’ visit has been a source of pride.