Janice R. Andrews
Next week, Pope Francis will visit Indonesia, which is the most popular Muslim-majority country in the world. This will be a big moment for religious discussion and peace in that country. A 28.3-meter-long “Tunnel of Friendship” connects the Istiqlal Mosque, Southeast Asia’s biggest mosque, to the Our Lady of the Assumption Cathedral. The Pope will look at this odd religious feature while he is in Jakarta. The Indonesian government built this tunnel in 2020 as a sign of religious unity and to help people of different faiths understand each other better.
An Important Visit for Peace Between Religions
Pope Francis, who is 87 years old, will start his 12-day tour of the Asia-Pacific region in Indonesia. He will then go to Papua New Guinea, East Timor, and Singapore. Because of how long and complicated the trip was, people are worried about his health. On the other hand, the Vatican has stressed that the Pope is dedicated to supporting peace and dialogue between different religions, which have been important topics of his 11-year papacy.
The “Tunnel of Friendship” is a one-of-a-kind project in Jakarta that shows how committed Indonesia is to religion tolerance. For your information, the cave has windows that let natural light in and art written on the walls. Even though it’s not open to the public yet, it has already become a strong sign of unity between the Muslim and Catholic groups in the city.
Religious leaders gave them a warm welcome.
The Pope is going to the Istiqlal Mosque to take part in a meeting between people of different faiths. This shows that he wants to talk to the Muslim world. “The most important person for Catholics is coming,” Nasaruddin Umar, the Grand Imam of the Istiqlal Mosque, said. The fact that the mosque’s huge parking lot is often open to people from the church during big events shows that the two faith groups are willing to work together. “Whatever your religion is, let’s respect our guest,” he said.
The pope will also meet with Joko Widodo, the former president of Indonesia, and lead a mass at a stadium in Jakarta. More than 80,000 people are expected to attend, which shows how important this visit is to the local Catholic community, which only makes up about 3% of Indonesia’s 280 million people. “I would have to bow down to him if I could meet him.” 77-year-old Catholic woman Maria Regina Widyastuti Sasongko said, “I couldn’t even bring myself to hold his hand.” She was touched deeply by the Pope’s visit.
Indonesia’s History of Living Together and Fighting Over Religion
Indonesia has a lot of different religions. Religious people have lived together in the country for a long time, but it has had problems. In the 1600s, Portuguese priests brought Catholicism to Indonesia. However, during Dutch colonial rule, Protestantism was promoted over Catholicism. In the 1940s, not long after Indonesia claimed its independence, the Vatican publicly recognised the country by sending a diplomatic agent there.
Even though Indonesia is an officially secular country, people of different faiths often face abuse. A 2023 report from a U.S. religious freedom watchdog group pointed out ongoing problems, such as the fact that places of prayer like churches are being shut down because of strict rules. A researcher for Human Rights Watch named Andreas Harsono said that these rules that make it easier to be mean to religious people are at the root of religious hatred in Indonesia.
A Peaceful and Hopeful Message
Many Indonesians see Pope Francis’s coming as a sign of hope and unity, even though there are problems. The minister of religious affairs in Indonesia, Yaqut Cholil Qoumas, said the visit was a strong sign of friendship between people of all religions in Indonesia. “The Pope’s visit makes Indonesia the barometer of peace and a pillar of tolerance,” said the Pope.
For Catholics in Indonesia like Sasongko, the Pope’s visit is a very important and hopeful event. “His visit can change people to love each other,” she said, hoping that the Pope’s presence would bring Indonesia’s different faith groups together and help them accept each other more.
The whole world is looking forward to Pope Francis’s historic trip to Indonesia and hopes that his message of peace and discussion between different faiths will spread throughout the area and beyond. “Tunnel of Friendship” shows what can be done when people from different areas of a community work together to accept and understand each other.
