On September 5, 2024, Pope Francis continued his Apostolic Journey to Asia and Oceania by visiting the Istiqlal Mosque in Jakarta, Indonesia, marking the third day of his trip. This mosque, the largest in Southeast Asia, hosted the Pope for an interreligious meeting. He was greeted by Grand Imam Dr. Nasaruddin Umar. The visit included a tour of the “Tunnel of Friendship,” an underground passage linking the Istiqlal Mosque with the Catholic Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Assumption, separated by a three-lane highway.

During the visit, Pope Francis and the Grand Imam signed the Joint Declaration of Istiqlal 2024, a document emphasizing the importance of promoting shared values across religious traditions to counteract violence and indifference while fostering reconciliation and peace.

In his speech, Pope Francis expressed gratitude to the Grand Imam for his warm welcome and highlighted the mosque as a “great house for humanity,” a place where people are reminded of their innate longing for the infinite and the importance of divine encounters and friendship.

The Pope praised the Indonesian commitment to fostering dialogue, mutual respect, and harmonious coexistence among different religions and spiritual beliefs. He noted that the mosque’s history, including its design by Christian architect Friedrich Silaban, reflects this spirit of inclusivity.

He urged everyone to nurture this spirit daily so that religious experiences serve as foundations for a peaceful and fraternal society. The “Tunnel of Friendship,” linking the mosque and the cathedral, symbolizes a commitment to dialogue and fraternity, and the Pope encouraged all to seek God and build societies founded on mutual respect, countering extremism and fundamentalism.

Emphasizing the universal quest for the divine and the common thirst for the infinite, the Pope reminded his audience that, despite our differences, we are all on a journey towards God and are united as brothers and sisters.

He also stressed the importance of focusing on shared goals like defending human dignity, aiding the poor, promoting peace, and protecting the environment. In his concluding remarks, the Pope highlighted that fostering religious harmony is a common responsibility, essential for addressing global crises and conflicts, often exacerbated by the misuse of religion.

The Pope concluded with a call to cherish the most precious treasure—the determination to harmonize differences through mutual respect and to envision a world of peace, fraternity, and freedom for all.