JAKARTA. Pope Francis is set to visit Indonesia next week, making a significant stop at Jakarta’s Istiqlal Mosque. This visit is part of his 12-day Asia-Pacific tour, which also includes stops in Papua New Guinea, East Timor, and Singapore. The visit to Istiqlal Mosque, the largest in Southeast Asia, is particularly noteworthy due to the mosque’s unique connection to Jakarta’s Catholic cathedral via the “Tunnel of Friendship.”
The 28.3-meter tunnel, which was built by the Indonesian government in 2020, symbolizes religious harmony in the world’s most populous Muslim-majority nation. This theme has been a hallmark of Pope Francis’s travels during his 11-year papacy. The tunnel, which connects Istiqlal Mosque to the Our Lady of the Assumption Cathedral, features windows that allow natural light to enter and is adorned with inscribed art on its walls. Although the tunnel is not yet open to the public, the Pope’s visit will highlight its significance as a symbol of unity.
“It’s extraordinary that the Catholics’ number one figure is coming,” said Nasaruddin Umar, the grand imam of Istiqlal Mosque. He emphasized the importance of respecting the Pope as a guest, regardless of religious differences. Istiqlal Mosque’s vast parking lot is often made available to churchgoers during major events, further demonstrating the spirit of cooperation between the two faith communities.
Pope Francis, who is 87 years old, is scheduled to arrive in Indonesia on Tuesday. His visit comes amidst concerns about his health, as this will be the longest trip of his papacy. Despite these concerns, the Pope is set to participate in an interfaith meeting at Istiqlal Mosque and will also visit the “Tunnel of Friendship.”
In addition to his visit to the mosque, Pope Francis will meet with outgoing President Joko Widodo and hold a mass service at a Jakarta stadium, which is expected to draw more than 80,000 attendees. Rev. Thomas Ulun Ismoyo, an Indonesian church official, expressed excitement about the Pope’s visit, noting that Indonesian Catholics have not experienced a papal visit in over three decades.
“If I could meet him, I could only bow before him. I couldn’t even bring myself to hold his hand,” said Maria Regina Widyastuti Sasongko, a 77-year-old Catholic woman who sells items such as statues and t-shirts bearing the Pope’s image. The last papal visit to Indonesia was by Pope John Paul II in 1989, following Pope Paul VI’s visit in 1970.
Symbol of Friendship Amidst a Complex Religious Landscape
Yaqut Cholil Qoumas, Indonesia’s Minister of Religious Affairs, hailed the Pope’s visit as a symbol of friendship among people of all religions in Indonesia. “The Pope’s visit makes Indonesia the barometer of peace and a pillar of tolerance,” he told Reuters.
However, Indonesia’s history of religious harmony has been complex. Catholicism was introduced to the country by Portuguese missionaries in the 16th century, but it was banned during Dutch colonial rule in favor of Protestantism. The Vatican only officially established diplomatic relations with Indonesia in the 1940s.
Despite being a secular state, Indonesia has faced challenges in maintaining religious harmony. The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom reported that “Indonesia’s religious freedom conditions remained poor” in 2023, citing regulations that led to the closure of places of worship, including churches. Andreas Harsono, a researcher for Human Rights Watch in Indonesia, pointed to these laws as the root cause of religious intolerance and church closures.
For many Indonesian Catholics, the Pope’s visit represents a beacon of hope for greater unity and understanding among the country’s diverse religious communities. “His visit can transform people to love one another,” said Sasongko, reflecting the optimism that Pope Francis’s presence brings to the nation.
Gary P Hernal started college at UP Diliman and received his BA in Economics from San Sebastian College, Manila, and Masters in Information Systems Management from Keller Graduate School of Management of DeVry University in Oak Brook, IL. He has 25 years of copy editing and management experience at Thomson West, a subsidiary of Thomson Reuters.
