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Address by Pope Francis to an interfaith meeting at the Istiqlal Mosque (Jakarta, Indonesia)
Thursday, 5 September 2024
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
I am happy to be here with you all, in the largest Mosque in Asia.
I greet the Grand Imam and thank him for his words, reminding us that this place of worship and prayer is also “a great house for humanity”, where everyone can enter and take time for themselves, in order o make room for the longing for the infinite that each one of us carries in our hearts, and to seek an encounter with the divine and experience the joy of friendship with others.
I would also like to remind you that this mosque was designed by the architect Friedrich Silaban, a Christian, who won the design competition.
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.
This is a great gift which you are called to cultivate every day, so that religious experience may be point of reference for a fraternal and peaceful society, and never a reason for narrow-mindedness or confrontation.
In this context, it is worth mentioning the underground tunnel, the “Tunnel of Friendship”, which connects the Istiqlal Mosque and the Cathedral of the Assumption.
This is an eloquent sign that allows these two great places of worship not only to be “in front of” each other, but also to be “connected” to each other.
Indeed, this passageway allows for meeting, dialogue and a real possibility of “finding and sharing a ‘mystique’ of living together, of mixing and meeting […] of entering into this tide which, although chaotic, can become a true experience of fraternity, a caravan of solidarity, a holy pilgrimage” (Evangelii Gaudium, 87).
I encourage you to continue along this path so that all of us, together, each cultivating his or her own spirituality and practicing his or her own religion, may go in search of God and contribute to building open societies based on mutual respect and love, capable of protecting against rigidity, fundamentalism and extremism, which are always dangerous and never justifiable.
In the light of all that has been said, symbolized by the tunnel, I would like to leave you with two suggestions to encourage you on the path of unity and harmony that you have already embarked upon.
The first is always to look deeply, because that is the only way to find what unites despite our differences. Indeed, in both the mosque and the cathedral, on the surface, there are spaces that are well defined and frequented by their respective worshippers, but underground, in the tunnel, these same people can meet and encounter each other’s religious perspectives.
This image reminds us of the important fact that the visible aspects of religions – the rites, practices and so on – are a heritage that must be protected and respected.
However, we could say that what lies “underneath”, what runs underground, like the “tunnel of friendship”, is the one root common to all religious sensitivities: the search for an encounter with the divine, the thirst for the infinite that the Almighty has placed in our hearts, the search for a greater joy and a life stronger than any kind of death, which animates the journey of our lives and drives us to step out of ourselves to meet God.
Here, let us remember that by looking deeply, nu grasping what flows in the depths of our lives, the desire for fullness that dwells in the depths of our hearts, we discover that we are all brothers and sisters, all pilgrims, all on our to God, beyond what separates us.
The second suggestion is to preserve the bonds between you.
The tunnel was built to connect two different and distant places.
This is what the tunnel does: it connects, it creating a bond.
Sometimes we think that a meeting between religions is a matter of seeking common ground between different religious doctrines and beliefs at all costs.
But such an approach may end up dividing us, because the doctrines and dogmas of each religious experience are different.
What really brings us together is to connect in the midst of diversity, to cultivate bonds of friendship, care and mutuality.
These relationships bind us to others, allowing us to commit ourselves to seek the truth together, to learn from each other’s religious tradition, and to come together to meet our human and spiritual needs.
They are also bonds that allow us to work together, to move forward together in pursuit of the same goals: defense of human dignity, the fight against poverty and the promotion of peace.
Unity is born from personal bonds of friendship as well as mutual respect and defence of each other’s ideas and their sacred spaces.
May you always cherish this!
Dear brothers and sisters, “Promoting Religious Harmony for the Good of Humanity” is the path that we are called to follow.
It is also the title to the joint declaration prepared for this occasion.
By adhering to it, we assume the responsibility of addressing the serious and sometimes dramatic crises that threaten the future of humanity, such as wars and conflicts, which unfortunately are sometimes caused by the manipulation of religion, and the environmental crisis, which is an obstacle to the growth and coexistence of peoples.
In the face of these crises, it is important to effectively promote the values common to all religious traditions in order to help society to “overcome the culture of violence and indifference” (Istiqlal Joint Declaration) and to promote reconciliation and peace.
I thank you for the common path you are taking.
Indonesia is a great country, a mosaic of cultures, ethnicities and religious traditions, a rich diversity, which is also reflected in the varied ecosystem.
If it is true that you are home to the largest gold mine in the world, know that the most precious treasure is the determination that differences can be reconciled through harmony and mutual respect, rather than being a source of conflict. You are known for such harmony.
Do not lose this gift! Do not impoverish yourselves of this great treasure.
On the contrary, cultivate it and pass it on, especially to the young.
May no one succumb to the lure of fundamentalism and violence.
May everyone instead be inspired by the dream of a free, fraternal and peaceful society and humanity!
Thank you for your kind smile, which always shines on your faces and is a sign of your beauty and inner openness.
May God preserve this gift.
With his help and blessing go forth, Bhinneka Tunggal Ika, united in diversity. Thank you!
_______________________________
Greeting in the Tunnel of Friendship
Dear brothers and sisters,
I congratulate you all because the purpose of this “Tunnel of Friendship” is to be a place of dialogue and encounter.
When we think of a tunnel, it is easy to imagine a dark passage.
This could be frightening, especially if we are alone.
But here it is different, because everything is lit.
But I would like to tell you that you are the light that illuminates it, through your friendship, through the harmony that you cultivate, through the support that you give each other, and through the journey that you take together, which ultimately leads you to the fullness of light.
We who belong to different religious traditions have a role to play in helping everyone pass through the tunnels of life with our eyes turned towards the light.
Then, at the end of the journey, we will be able to recognize in those who have walked beside us, a brother, a sister, with whom we can share life and support each other.
In the face of today’s many challenges, we respond with the sign of fraternity.
Indeed, by welcoming others and respecting their identity, fraternity urges them on a common path travelled in friendship and leading towards the light.
I am grateful to those who work with the conviction that we can live in harmony and peace and are aware of the need for a more fraternal world.
I hope that our communities will be increasingly open to interreligious dialogue and will be symbols of the peaceful coexistence that characterizes Indonesia.
I pray to God, the Creator of all, to bless all who pass through this Tunnel in a spirit of friendship, harmony and fraternity. Thank you!
INTERRELIGIOUS MEETING
Address by Pope Francis to an interfaith meeting at the Istiqlal Mosque (Jakarta, Indonesia)
Thursday, 5 September 2024
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
I am happy to be here with you all, in the largest Mosque in Asia.
I greet the Grand Imam and thank him for his words, reminding us that this place of worship and prayer is also “a great house for humanity”, where everyone can enter and take time for themselves, in order o make room for the longing for the infinite that each one of us carries in our hearts, and to seek an encounter with the divine and experience the joy of friendship with others.
I would also like to remind you that this mosque was designed by the architect Friedrich Silaban, a Christian, who won the design competition.
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.
This is a great gift which you are called to cultivate every day, so that religious experience may be point of reference for a fraternal and peaceful society, and never a reason for narrow-mindedness or confrontation.
In this context, it is worth mentioning the underground tunnel, the “Tunnel of Friendship”, which connects the Istiqlal Mosque and the Cathedral of the Assumption.
This is an eloquent sign that allows these two great places of worship not only to be “in front of” each other, but also to be “connected” to each other.
Indeed, this passageway allows for meeting, dialogue and a real possibility of “finding and sharing a ‘mystique’ of living together, of mixing and meeting […] of entering into this tide which, although chaotic, can become a true experience of fraternity, a caravan of solidarity, a holy pilgrimage” (Evangelii Gaudium, 87).
I encourage you to continue along this path so that all of us, together, each cultivating his or her own spirituality and practicing his or her own religion, may go in search of God and contribute to building open societies based on mutual respect and love, capable of protecting against rigidity, fundamentalism and extremism, which are always dangerous and never justifiable.
In the light of all that has been said, symbolized by the tunnel, I would like to leave you with two suggestions to encourage you on the path of unity and harmony that you have already embarked upon.
The first is always to look deeply, because that is the only way to find what unites despite our differences. Indeed, in both the mosque and the cathedral, on the surface, there are spaces that are well defined and frequented by their respective worshippers, but underground, in the tunnel, these same people can meet and encounter each other’s religious perspectives.
This image reminds us of the important fact that the visible aspects of religions – the rites, practices and so on – are a heritage that must be protected and respected.
However, we could say that what lies “underneath”, what runs underground, like the “tunnel of friendship”, is the one root common to all religious sensitivities: the search for an encounter with the divine, the thirst for the infinite that the Almighty has placed in our hearts, the search for a greater joy and a life stronger than any kind of death, which animates the journey of our lives and drives us to step out of ourselves to meet God.
Here, let us remember that by looking deeply, nu grasping what flows in the depths of our lives, the desire for fullness that dwells in the depths of our hearts, we discover that we are all brothers and sisters, all pilgrims, all on our to God, beyond what separates us.
The second suggestion is to preserve the bonds between you.
The tunnel was built to connect two different and distant places.
This is what the tunnel does: it connects, it creating a bond.
Sometimes we think that a meeting between religions is a matter of seeking common ground between different religious doctrines and beliefs at all costs.
But such an approach may end up dividing us, because the doctrines and dogmas of each religious experience are different.
What really brings us together is to connect in the midst of diversity, to cultivate bonds of friendship, care and mutuality.
These relationships bind us to others, allowing us to commit ourselves to seek the truth together, to learn from each other’s religious tradition, and to come together to meet our human and spiritual needs.
They are also bonds that allow us to work together, to move forward together in pursuit of the same goals: defense of human dignity, the fight against poverty and the promotion of peace.
Unity is born from personal bonds of friendship as well as mutual respect and defence of each other’s ideas and their sacred spaces.
May you always cherish this!
Dear brothers and sisters, “Promoting Religious Harmony for the Good of Humanity” is the path that we are called to follow.
It is also the title to the joint declaration prepared for this occasion.
By adhering to it, we assume the responsibility of addressing the serious and sometimes dramatic crises that threaten the future of humanity, such as wars and conflicts, which unfortunately are sometimes caused by the manipulation of religion, and the environmental crisis, which is an obstacle to the growth and coexistence of peoples.
In the face of these crises, it is important to effectively promote the values common to all religious traditions in order to help society to “overcome the culture of violence and indifference” (Istiqlal Joint Declaration) and to promote reconciliation and peace.
I thank you for the common path you are taking.
Indonesia is a great country, a mosaic of cultures, ethnicities and religious traditions, a rich diversity, which is also reflected in the varied ecosystem.
If it is true that you are home to the largest gold mine in the world, know that the most precious treasure is the determination that differences can be reconciled through harmony and mutual respect, rather than being a source of conflict. You are known for such harmony.
Do not lose this gift! Do not impoverish yourselves of this great treasure.
On the contrary, cultivate it and pass it on, especially to the young.
May no one succumb to the lure of fundamentalism and violence.
May everyone instead be inspired by the dream of a free, fraternal and peaceful society and humanity!
Thank you for your kind smile, which always shines on your faces and is a sign of your beauty and inner openness.
May God preserve this gift.
With his help and blessing go forth, Bhinneka Tunggal Ika, united in diversity. Thank you!
_______________________________
Greeting in the Tunnel of Friendship
Dear brothers and sisters,
I congratulate you all because the purpose of this “Tunnel of Friendship” is to be a place of dialogue and encounter.
When we think of a tunnel, it is easy to imagine a dark passage.
This could be frightening, especially if we are alone.
But here it is different, because everything is lit.
But I would like to tell you that you are the light that illuminates it, through your friendship, through the harmony that you cultivate, through the support that you give each other, and through the journey that you take together, which ultimately leads you to the fullness of light.
We who belong to different religious traditions have a role to play in helping everyone pass through the tunnels of life with our eyes turned towards the light.
Then, at the end of the journey, we will be able to recognize in those who have walked beside us, a brother, a sister, with whom we can share life and support each other.
In the face of today’s many challenges, we respond with the sign of fraternity.
Indeed, by welcoming others and respecting their identity, fraternity urges them on a common path travelled in friendship and leading towards the light.
I am grateful to those who work with the conviction that we can live in harmony and peace and are aware of the need for a more fraternal world.
I hope that our communities will be increasingly open to interreligious dialogue and will be symbols of the peaceful coexistence that characterizes Indonesia.
I pray to God, the Creator of all, to bless all who pass through this Tunnel in a spirit of friendship, harmony and fraternity. Thank you!
INTERRELIGIOUS MEETING
Address by Pope Francis to an interfaith meeting at the Istiqlal Mosque (Jakarta, Indonesia)
Thursday, 5 September 2024
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
I am happy to be here with you all, in the largest Mosque in Asia.
I greet the Grand Imam and thank him for his words, reminding us that this place of worship and prayer is also “a great house for humanity”, where everyone can enter and take time for themselves, in order o make room for the longing for the infinite that each one of us carries in our hearts, and to seek an encounter with the divine and experience the joy of friendship with others.
I would also like to remind you that this mosque was designed by the architect Friedrich Silaban, a Christian, who won the design competition.
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.
This is a great gift which you are called to cultivate every day, so that religious experience may be point of reference for a fraternal and peaceful society, and never a reason for narrow-mindedness or confrontation.
In this context, it is worth mentioning the underground tunnel, the “Tunnel of Friendship”, which connects the Istiqlal Mosque and the Cathedral of the Assumption.
This is an eloquent sign that allows these two great places of worship not only to be “in front of” each other, but also to be “connected” to each other.
Indeed, this passageway allows for meeting, dialogue and a real possibility of “finding and sharing a ‘mystique’ of living together, of mixing and meeting […] of entering into this tide which, although chaotic, can become a true experience of fraternity, a caravan of solidarity, a holy pilgrimage” (Evangelii Gaudium, 87).
I encourage you to continue along this path so that all of us, together, each cultivating his or her own spirituality and practicing his or her own religion, may go in search of God and contribute to building open societies based on mutual respect and love, capable of protecting against rigidity, fundamentalism and extremism, which are always dangerous and never justifiable.
In the light of all that has been said, symbolized by the tunnel, I would like to leave you with two suggestions to encourage you on the path of unity and harmony that you have already embarked upon.
The first is always to look deeply, because that is the only way to find what unites despite our differences. Indeed, in both the mosque and the cathedral, on the surface, there are spaces that are well defined and frequented by their respective worshippers, but underground, in the tunnel, these same people can meet and encounter each other’s religious perspectives.
This image reminds us of the important fact that the visible aspects of religions – the rites, practices and so on – are a heritage that must be protected and respected.
However, we could say that what lies “underneath”, what runs underground, like the “tunnel of friendship”, is the one root common to all religious sensitivities: the search for an encounter with the divine, the thirst for the infinite that the Almighty has placed in our hearts, the search for a greater joy and a life stronger than any kind of death, which animates the journey of our lives and drives us to step out of ourselves to meet God.
Here, let us remember that by looking deeply, nu grasping what flows in the depths of our lives, the desire for fullness that dwells in the depths of our hearts, we discover that we are all brothers and sisters, all pilgrims, all on our to God, beyond what separates us.
The second suggestion is to preserve the bonds between you.
The tunnel was built to connect two different and distant places.
This is what the tunnel does: it connects, it creating a bond.
Sometimes we think that a meeting between religions is a matter of seeking common ground between different religious doctrines and beliefs at all costs.
But such an approach may end up dividing us, because the doctrines and dogmas of each religious experience are different.
What really brings us together is to connect in the midst of diversity, to cultivate bonds of friendship, care and mutuality.
These relationships bind us to others, allowing us to commit ourselves to seek the truth together, to learn from each other’s religious tradition, and to come together to meet our human and spiritual needs.
They are also bonds that allow us to work together, to move forward together in pursuit of the same goals: defense of human dignity, the fight against poverty and the promotion of peace.
Unity is born from personal bonds of friendship as well as mutual respect and defence of each other’s ideas and their sacred spaces.
May you always cherish this!
Dear brothers and sisters, “Promoting Religious Harmony for the Good of Humanity” is the path that we are called to follow.
It is also the title to the joint declaration prepared for this occasion.
By adhering to it, we assume the responsibility of addressing the serious and sometimes dramatic crises that threaten the future of humanity, such as wars and conflicts, which unfortunately are sometimes caused by the manipulation of religion, and the environmental crisis, which is an obstacle to the growth and coexistence of peoples.
In the face of these crises, it is important to effectively promote the values common to all religious traditions in order to help society to “overcome the culture of violence and indifference” (Istiqlal Joint Declaration) and to promote reconciliation and peace.
I thank you for the common path you are taking.
Indonesia is a great country, a mosaic of cultures, ethnicities and religious traditions, a rich diversity, which is also reflected in the varied ecosystem.
If it is true that you are home to the largest gold mine in the world, know that the most precious treasure is the determination that differences can be reconciled through harmony and mutual respect, rather than being a source of conflict. You are known for such harmony.
Do not lose this gift! Do not impoverish yourselves of this great treasure.
On the contrary, cultivate it and pass it on, especially to the young.
May no one succumb to the lure of fundamentalism and violence.
May everyone instead be inspired by the dream of a free, fraternal and peaceful society and humanity!
Thank you for your kind smile, which always shines on your faces and is a sign of your beauty and inner openness.
May God preserve this gift.
With his help and blessing go forth, Bhinneka Tunggal Ika, united in diversity. Thank you!
_______________________________
Greeting in the Tunnel of Friendship
Dear brothers and sisters,
I congratulate you all because the purpose of this “Tunnel of Friendship” is to be a place of dialogue and encounter.
When we think of a tunnel, it is easy to imagine a dark passage.
This could be frightening, especially if we are alone.
But here it is different, because everything is lit.
But I would like to tell you that you are the light that illuminates it, through your friendship, through the harmony that you cultivate, through the support that you give each other, and through the journey that you take together, which ultimately leads you to the fullness of light.
We who belong to different religious traditions have a role to play in helping everyone pass through the tunnels of life with our eyes turned towards the light.
Then, at the end of the journey, we will be able to recognize in those who have walked beside us, a brother, a sister, with whom we can share life and support each other.
In the face of today’s many challenges, we respond with the sign of fraternity.
Indeed, by welcoming others and respecting their identity, fraternity urges them on a common path travelled in friendship and leading towards the light.
I am grateful to those who work with the conviction that we can live in harmony and peace and are aware of the need for a more fraternal world.
I hope that our communities will be increasingly open to interreligious dialogue and will be symbols of the peaceful coexistence that characterizes Indonesia.
I pray to God, the Creator of all, to bless all who pass through this Tunnel in a spirit of friendship, harmony and fraternity. Thank you!
