"This mosque was designed by architect Friedrich Silaban, a Christian who won the design competition. This proves that in this nation's history and the developing culture, mosques, like other places of worship, are spaces of dialogue, spaces of mutual respect, and coexistence," he remarked.
The Pope made the statement during an interreligious meeting at Istiqlal Mosque on Thursday.
Pope Francis noted that the proof not only lies in the location of Istiqlal Mosque, situated across from the Jakarta Cathedral, but also in the fact that the Tunnel of Friendship connects the mosque and the cathedral.
He assessed that the tunnel allows interactions and dialogues among members of religious communities and can be a shared space for socializing and presenting real experiences of human solidarity.
According to the Pope, the Istiqlal Mosque and Jakarta Cathedral are a blessing from God to serve as references for a peaceful and friendly society and not a reason to close oneself off and be hostile towards one another.
With the presence of the two places of worship, the Pope said, it is hoped that all religious communities in Indonesia would contribute to building a society that is open to one another based on mutual respect and love and protecting each other from violence and extremism.
"Strengthening religious communities and humanity is an inspiration that we must follow and is the title of a joint declaration that has been prepared on this occasion," he remarked.
Pope Francis is undertaking an apostolic journey to the Asia-Pacific on September 3-13, 2024.
His visit will cover Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Timor-Leste, and Singapore, with Indonesia being the first stop in the ambitious tour.
Pope Francis' visit to Indonesia is taking place on September 3-6, 2024. Earlier, Pope Paul VI and Pope John Paul II had visited Indonesia in 1970 and 1989, respectively.
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Translator: Sean Filo, Raka Adji
Editor: Azis Kurmala
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