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Pope Francis Urges Indonesia to Uphold Commitment to “Harmony in Diversity” and Combat Extremism

Pope Francis Urges Indonesia to Uphold Commitment to “Harmony in Diversity” and Combat Extremism
  • PublishedSeptember 4, 2024

Pope Francis has called on Indonesia to honor its commitment to “harmony in diversity” and take a stand against religious intolerance, as he began a challenging 11-day visit to Southeast Asia and Oceania, the Associated Press reports.

This trip, one of the longest of his papacy, will test the 87-year-old pontiff’s stamina and health. On his first full day in Indonesia, Francis met with outgoing President Joko Widodo and other officials at the presidential palace in Jakarta. He was welcomed with full honors, including a cannon salute and a traditional procession, marking the first papal visit to the country in 35 years.

In his address, Francis praised Indonesia’s diverse population, comparing it to the archipelago’s 17,000 islands, each contributing to a “magnificent mosaic.” However, he warned that this diversity could become a source of conflict, alluding to recent incidents of religious intolerance in Indonesia and broader global conflicts. He emphasized the need to protect the delicate balance between cultural diversity and national unity, calling on political leaders to play a crucial role in this effort. The pope also reaffirmed the Catholic Church’s commitment to fostering interreligious dialogue to address common challenges, such as countering extremism and intolerance.

Francis’s visit comes at a time of rising concern over religious freedom in Indonesia. Amnesty International has documented at least 123 cases of intolerance from January 2021 to July 2024, including attacks on places of worship and physical assaults. The organization expressed hope that the pope’s visit would promote an end to these acts of intolerance and discrimination, reinforcing the protection of religious freedom enshrined in Indonesia’s constitution.

In addition to addressing issues of religious tolerance, Francis’s visit highlights Indonesia’s significance as home to the world’s largest Muslim population and a growing Catholic community. Although Catholics represent only 3% of Indonesia’s 275 million people, the country boasts the largest Catholic seminary in the world and remains a significant source of priests and nuns for the global Church. The pope’s schedule includes a meeting with Indonesian clergy and nuns at Jakarta’s main cathedral, where he will offer encouragement to the local Church.

A key moment of Francis’s visit will be his participation in an interfaith meeting at Jakarta’s Istiqlal Mosque, where he will engage with representatives of the six officially recognized religions in Indonesia: Islam, Buddhism, Confucianism, Hinduism, Catholicism, and Protestantism. The meeting is expected to underscore Indonesia’s tradition of religious tolerance, even as recent events have challenged its reputation as a moderate Muslim nation.

Francis’s visit to Indonesia is part of a broader tour that includes stops in Papua New Guinea, East Timor, and Singapore. The trip, which covers 32,814 kilometers (20,390 miles), is one of the longest papal journeys in terms of distance and duration.