Pope Francis and Nasaruddin Umar, the Grand Imam of Indonesia, signed a joint declaration on Thursday aimed at promoting religious harmony for the good of humanity. The agreement was announced during a high level interfaith gathering in Jakarta, held on the second day of a twelve day Apostolic journey across Asia and Oceania. The moment underscored a shared commitment to dialogue and mutual respect among diverse faith communities present on the island nation.
Speaking from the metaphor of a tunnel known as the Friendship Tunnel, the pope framed their collaboration as a pathway through which believers from different traditions can keep their eyes on the light. The tunnel links the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption with the Istiklal Mosque and serves as a symbolic conduit for recognizing one another as brothers and sisters sharing life and supporting each other through common human aims.
The pontiff used the tunnel imagery to illustrate the need to look beyond visible religious practices to the deeper currents that unite people of faith. He emphasized that while rituals and traditions form a cherished heritage, the deeper foundation lies in the universal longing to encounter the divine and the innate drive toward the infinite planted in each heart by the divine source. This deeper current, according to him, is the shared root of all religious sensibilities and points toward the same ultimate horizon of encounter with God.
He also urged all participants to work together toward common goals and to stand up for human dignity, to strive against poverty, and to promote peace. The pope stressed the importance of acting fraternally to eradicate a culture of violence and indifference, which contradicts the shared values found across religious traditions. He invited everyone to continue along this path: to nurture their own spiritual lives while practicing their faith, all while building open societies based on mutual respect and mutual love. Such societies would reject rigid ideologies and all forms of extremism that threaten peace and freedom.
Following the reflections, the pope highlighted the Istiklal Mosque’s architectural history, noting that it was designed by the Christian architect Friedrich Silaban. This detail demonstrated that Indonesia hosts spaces of dialogue, mutual respect, and peaceful coexistence among different faith communities and spiritual perspectives, even amid challenges posed by intolerance and religious fundamentalism.
The gathering echoed a broader call for ongoing collaboration and dialogue among religions, with leaders affirming a shared responsibility to foster environments where people can freely pursue spiritual paths while contributing to inclusive civic life. The message resonated not only within religious circles but also among civil society groups seeking peaceful coexistence and social harmony across diverse communities in Indonesia and beyond.